Needle catheter jejunostomy (NCJ) for early postoperative feeding: experience in 210 patients

Enteral feeding has many advantages over total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in the early postoperative period. The risk of sepsis is small, the nutrients are cheap and metabolic problems are rare. In the period April 1980 to January 1983, needle catheter jejunostomy (NCJ) was applied in 210 patients after surgery of the oesophagus, stomach, duodenum, liver or pancreas. All but 14 of these patients were fed by NCJ for a certain period postoperatively, NCJ feeding being initiated within 48 hours after the operation in 63% of the cases. In 14 patients, it was decided not to use NCJ feeding because of counter-indications observed postoperatively. The mean duration of the feeding by NCJ was 17 days (range two to 84 days). The complications observed were intraperitoneal leakage in four patients (1.9%), ileus in seven patients (3.3%) and diarrhoea in 54 patients (25.7%). The total number of feeding days was 2,906. This form of feeding resulted in savings of Dfl. 115,00 per patient per day compared with TPN, for a 12,600 Joule intake. NCJ feeding is a relatively safe, economical procedure that can be applied as a matter of routine after abdominal surgery.