[Abscess development caused by ingrown nitinol spiral as a fatal complication of a partially deteriorated...

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a safe method with a low complication rate for providing enteral nutrition. While the "pull" method is the standard technique for PEG placement, alternatively "push" methods were developed in order to minimize peristomal wound infections caused by micro-organisms from the oropharyngeal cavity. Intragastral fixation of the "push" type PEG tube has always been a problem. The MEMOSOND-PEG uses a heat activated nitinol memory spiral as an anchor-like intragastral fixation. So far, an intraabdominal dislocation and a perforation have been reported as severe complications of this type of PEG tube. Five years after insertion we observed the development of an abscess induced by ingrowth of a nitinol spiral into the stomach wall as a further fatal complication in a patient with a MEMOSOND-PEG. The memory metal spiral had pierced the stomach wall after partial destruction of the polyurethane covering. The nitinol spiral was endoscopically extracted in several fragments. Ten days after extraction however, the patient died of combined kidney and liver failure due to a sepsis with Staphylococcus.