Laparoscopic gastrostomy in critical polytrauma patients

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Surgical Gastroenterology
• Nutritional Support

Background:

• Critically ill patients develop a hypermetabolic state, leading to malnutrition, increased morbidity, and mortality.
• Enteral nutrition is crucial for managing these patients.
• Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is the preferred method, but laparoscopic gastrostomy is an alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic feeding gastrostomy in critically ill patients.
• To assess perioperative outcomes and the initiation of enteral feeding.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of 12 critically ill patients undergoing laparoscopic feeding gastrostomy between January 2016 and March 2019.
• Data collected included demographics, ASA classification, operative and postoperative complications, and feeding parameters.

Main Results:

• The average age of patients was 39 years.
• The average surgical time was 39 minutes.
• No perioperative complications were recorded, and all patients were initiated on feeding within 24 hours.

Conclusions:

• Laparoscopic feeding gastrostomy is a low-complexity technique suitable for selected critically ill patients.
• It can be performed immediately upon indication, offering an alternative to endoscopic procedures.
• The procedure demonstrated safety and efficacy in enabling early enteral nutrition.