Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: a secondary care hospital experience

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the most common enteral feeding method in patients with swallowing disorders. PEG is a minimally invasive procedure, but acute and chronic complications may develop after the procedure. Therefore, in this article, we evaluated PEG interventions that were performed in a secondary care hospital. METHODS: We performed a retrospective observational study of patients who underwent PEG intervention from January 2019 to June 2021 at the Istanbul Sultanbeyli State Hospital Endoscopy Unit. This study was approved by the local Ethics Committee and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05012527). A total of 45 patients’ comorbidities, indications, complications, and 30-day mortality rates were analyzed. RESULTS: The majority of our population was elderly patients, and the mean age of the patients was 74. Most patients had multiple comorbidities such as hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and diabetes mellitus. The minor complication rate was 24.4%, and the major complication rate was 4.4%. Thirty-day mortality was observed in 18% of this cohort. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Before the PEG procedure, the patient’s general condition, the expected time of insufficient food intake, life expectancy, and comorbidities should be carefully examined. Our study has shown that PEG is a viable and safe procedure.