Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: a long-term follow-up

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Clinical Nutrition
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a key intervention for long-term enteral nutrition.
• Limited long-term follow-up data exists for PEG feeding complications and survival rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term follow-up of patients receiving PEG enteral feeding.
• To report complication and survival rates associated with PEG insertion.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 136 patients undergoing PEG insertion between January 1991 and June 1995.
• Long-term follow-up exceeding 31 days for 128 patients.
• Data collection on feeding duration, oral feeding return, continued enteral nutrition, mortality, and complication types.

Main Results:

• Mean PEG feeding duration was 277 days; 17% returned to oral feeding, 34% continued enteral nutrition, and 49% died.
• Major complications occurred in 3% (aspiration pneumonia, subcutaneous abscess, buried bumper syndrome); minor complications in 14% (tube blockages, dislodgements, infections).
• 1-year survival was 42%, 2-year survival was 35%. Survival probabilities differed significantly between cancer (median 39%) and non-cancer (median 64%) patients after 180 days.

Conclusions:

• PEG insertion is associated with manageable complication rates for long-term enteral feeding.
• Patient survival post-PEG is significantly influenced by underlying diagnosis, with non-cancer patients exhibiting better long-term prognoses.
• Further research into optimizing long-term PEG management and patient selection is warranted.