Minimally invasive tube gastrostomy

With the increasing use of surgically placed enteral feeding tubes, we have seen a marked increase in the number of complications related to the tubes and their management. This has resulted in an increase in returns to emergency departments, readmissions to hospitals, and returns to the operating room. This, in turn, has led to a dramatic increase in the cost to society for the aftercare of the feeding tubes. This article describes a technique designed to reduce complications and revisits to hospitals, while at the same time allowing greater flexibility and ease of management in patients who require long-term enteral feeding.