Laparoscopic assisted percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) cannot be accomplished in some patients and should not be performed if a distinct indentation in the stomach is not seen with finger pressure on the abdominal wall. We describe a technique of laparoscopic assisted PEG as an alternative to evaluate the intraabdominal organs after failed PEG placement. A needle is placed percutaneously into the stomach under laparoscopic and gastroscopic control. A wire is placed through the needle, encircled with a snare, and the PEG completed. We have performed this technique in three patients without complication. This simple and safe procedure has become our technique of choice for gastrostomy tube placement in those patients where upper endoscopy is possible but a PEG alone cannot be performed safely.