Radiological percutaneous gastrostomy placement for enteral feeding

Many patients who are unable to swallow have normal intestinal absorption and therefore do not need expensive and potentially problematic parenteral nutrition. Long term nasogastric tubes are unpleasant and interfere with communications, thus a gastrostomy is often felt to be appropriate. Traditionally this has been inserted at laparotomy but recently, other less invasive techniques of insertion such as endoscopy have been used for placement. We describe three patients where a percutaneous gastrostomy was placed by a radiological technique that we feel deserves wider recognition. It is quicker, cheaper and more versatile than the endoscopic method and avoids the unpleasant necessity for intubation by other than a fine-bore nasogastric tube.