The comparison of radiological gastrostomy tube placement: Balloon and bumper: A retropective cross-sectional study

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy (PRG) are used for gastric drainage, decompression, and feeding. Recent innovations enable bumper and balloon-type tube placement via transabdominal approach under guidance of fluoroscopy or sonography.

This is a single-center retrospective cohort study to evaluate the outcomes of balloon and bumper gastrostomy tube placement under guide of fluoroscopy and ultrasound. The total sample size was 470 consecutive patients. The eligibility criteria included all patients aged ≥18 years who underwent a balloon or bumper-type gastrostomy tube insertion for nutrition support in both the interventional radiology unit and at the bedside between 2017 and 2022.

This study revealed no significant differences between the two types of tubes in terms of time to tube replacement or requiring a gastrostomy tube. There was a positive correlation between the time that a patient has a gastrostomy tube and major complications (P = 0.005) and a positive correlation between number of tubes replaced and minor complications (P < 0.001). Both types of tubes were associated with low rates of complications. However, patients with a balloon tube were more likely to experience gastric-tube-related hospitalization/ED visits and require a >24-h hospital stay postoperation.

These findings can help healthcare providers make informed decisions when selecting the appropriate type of tube for their patients to have more durability with less complication.