Safety and efficacy of stoma site selection in CT-guided percutaneous gastrostomy: a retrospective analysis

To compare the safety and efficacy of CPG in the rectus abdominis and intercostal regions.

This retrospective study included 226 patients who underwent CPG at a single center, with the stoma placed in the rectus abdominis or intercostal region. Surgical outcomes and complications, such as pain and infection within 6 months postoperatively, were recorded.

The surgical success rate was 100%, and the all-cause mortality rate within 1 month was 0%. An intercostal stoma was placed in 56 patients; a rectus abdominis stoma was placed in 170 patients. The duration of surgery was longer for intercostal stoma placement (37.66 ± 14.63 min) than for rectus abdominis stoma placement (30.26 ± 12.40 min) (P = 0.000). At 1 month postsurgery, the rate of stoma infection was greater in the intercostal group (32.1%) than in the rectus abdominis group (20.6%), but the difference was not significant (P = 0.077). No significant difference was observed in the infection rate between the two groups at 3 or 6 months postsurgery (P > 0.05). Intercostal stoma patients reported higher pain scores during the perioperative period and at 1 month postsurgery (P = 0.000), but pain scores were similar between the two groups at 3 and 6 months postsurgery. The perioperative complication rates for intercostal and rectus abdominis surgery were 1.8% and 5.3%, respectively (P = 0.464), with no significant difference in the incidence of tube dislodgement (P = 0.514). Patient weight improved significantly at 3 and 6 months postoperatively compared to preoperatively (P < 0.05).

Rectus abdominis and intercostal stomas have similar safety and efficacy. However, intercostal stomas may result in greater short-term patient discomfort.