Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in the elderly: complications (review)

Due to varying disease processes, the elderly may have limited oral access to their otherwise intact gastrointestinal tract. In such individuals, the intact gastrointestinal tract must be accessed in other ways. Until the early 1980s, choices were limited to temporary solutions such as the nasogastric tube or to long operative procedures such as the operative gastrostomy tube. The introduction of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) allowed a quick, safe, and cheap procedure as an option. While PEG tubes have been used to help many of the elderly with their nutritional needs, they are not without risks. Below is a review of the literature concerning PEG complications in the elderly.