Abstract
Background: Standard care for initiation of enteral feeding in children has been pull percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (pull-PEG). As an alternative to pull-PEG, a 1-step endoscopic procedure for inserting a low-profile gastrostomy tube “button” has been developed that allows initial placement of a balloon-retained device. This report presents outcomes of metrics used to compare button placement with pull-PEG in a pediatric population. Methods: Data were generated from procedural experiences of surgeons on pediatric patients (n = 374) with a variety of clinical indications for gastrostomy. Study population ages ranged from 6 days to 16 years, while weights were from 2–84 kg. Results: The button was successfully placed by the 1-step procedure in 98% of the respective study population, and median procedural times were 20 and 15 minutes for button and pull-PEG placements, respectively. Median times to first feeds were equivalent for the 1-step procedure and pull-PEG (6 hours), while times to first nutrition feeds were 12.5 and 10 hours, respectively. Stoma site complications within each study group were similar. Healthy stoma proportions were 65.2% and 73.2% in the 1-step procedure and pull-PEG groups, respectively, at first follow-up. Conclusions: Similar study outcomes between the 1-step procedure and pull-PEG groups suggest that the former is a feasible alternative to pull-PEG for initial tube placement in children. The 1-step method involves a single procedure and reduces patient exposure to anesthesia, operating room time, and the potential for complications compared with a pull-PEG requirement for multiple procedures.
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