Experience with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy on an otolaryngology service

Seventy-one patients have undergone percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) on our otolaryngology service. Most commonly, these were neurologically-impaired (63%) or head and neck cancer (31%) patients. The PEG procedures were done, in almost all instances, in the operating room in conjunction with other indicated ORL-HNS procedures such as tracheotomy (71%) or with endoscopy or resection for head and neck cancer. The success rate in placement of the gastrostomy was 98%. There was one major complication, namely, seeding of the gastrostomy site with squamous cell carcinoma from a hypopharyngeal tumor. We conclude that PEG is a useful addition to the armamentarium of the head and neck surgeon.