Thirty-day complication rate of percutaneous gastrojejunostomy and gastrostomy tube insertion using a single-puncture, dual-anchor technique

Who Places Feeding Tubes and in What Scenario?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Enteral feeding is commonly used to provide patients with nutrition. Access via feeding tubes can be attained by multiple medical specialties through a variety of methods.

RECENT FINDINGS

There are limited data available on direct comparisons amongst gastroenterologist, interventional radiologists and surgeons, although there appears to be similar rates of complications. Fluroscopically and surgically placed feeding tubes may have a higher technical success rate than endoscopically placed tubes. The preferred specialty for feeding tube placement varies per institution, often due to logistical matters over technique or concern for complications. Ideally, a multidisciplinary team should exist to determine which approach is best in a patient-specific manner.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Percutaneous Radiologic Gastrostomy Performed With and Without Gastropexy: Technical Success, Patient-Reported Outcomes and Safety

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to compare balloon-retention percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy (PRG) tube insertion performed with and without gastropexy, primarily focusing on pain and patient-reported outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Research ethics board approved a dual-arm, single-centre, randomized trial of 60 patients undergoing primary 14-French PRG tube insertion (NCT04107974). Patients were randomized to receive either PRG with gastropexy or without gastropexy. Data were collected for technical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes pre-procedure, post-procedure and at 1-month, as well as quality of life parameters at 1-month post-procedure (EQ5D-5L, Visual Analogue Scale and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Enteral Feeding questionnaires). Complications occurring up to 6-months post-procedure were recorded.

RESULTS

Sixty patients were randomized to the gastropexy group (n = 30) or non-gastropexy (n = 30) group. One non-gastropexy patient was withdrawn from the study due to failed insertion. PRG procedural time was significantly longer when using gastropexy (mean 11.4 ± 7.19 min) compared with non-gastropexy (mean 6.79 ± 4.63 min; p < 0.05). Pain scores did not differ between the two groups pre-procedure, post-procedure and at 1-month follow-up, nor did 1-month quality of life parameters. Six (20%) minor complications occurred in the gastropexy group and nine (31%) minor complications in the non-gastropexy group (p = 0.330). Two (6.9%) major complications occurred in the non-gastropexy group (p = 0.458).

CONCLUSION

There is comparable patient tolerability when balloon-retention PRG insertion is performed with or without gastropexy sutures. This study also demonstrated a trend towards fewer complications when gastropexy is utilized. However, further larger trials are required to compare complications of the two approaches for PRG insertion.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 2, randomized trial.

Percutaneous gastrojejunostomy tubes: Identification of predictors of retrograde jejunal limb migration into the stomach

PURPOSE

To identify whether technically modifiable factors during gastrojejunostomy (GJ) tube insertion are predictive of retrograde jejunal limb migration into the stomach.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective review of our procedural database over a 5-year period revealed 988 successful primary GJ tube insertions. Medical records and imaging were reviewed for cases of retrograde jejunal limb migration. Primary analysis was performed on 74 patients with retrograde tip migration within 3 months after placement (37 males, mean age = 57). Comparison was performed on 67 control patients (34 males, mean age = 51) who had radiologically confirmed GJ tube stability for at least 6 months. Procedural fluoroscopic images were analyzed for multiple GJ tube configuration parameters. The stomach was designated into antrum, body, and fundus. Predictors of retrograde tip migration were analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 110 patients (11.1%) had retrograde jejunal limb migration, with 74 (7.5%) occurring within 3 months of placement. On multivariate analysis, the factors associated with a significantly lower risk of tip malposition included gastric puncture site in the antrum (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.13-0.56, p < 0.001) and GJ tract angle less than 30 degrees away from the pylorus (OR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.16-0.76, p = 0.008). No patient in either cohort had a major complication within 30 days of procedure.

CONCLUSION

To minimize the risk of retrograde tip migration, GJ tubes should be inserted into the gastric antrum with an entry tract oriented as directly towards the pylorus as possible.

The application of a vascular closure device for closing a gastrostomy opening used for procedural access

OBJECTIVE

To study the feasibility of applying the Perclose ProGlide vascular closure device (PPVCD) in vitro for closing a gastrostomy opening for procedural access in the swine stomach in order to prevent peritoneal leakage.

METHODS

The study included four experimental groups: one manual suture (n = 10), two manual sutures (n = 10), one PPVCD suture (n = 10), and two PPVCD sutures (n = 5). In the two PPVCD sutures group, the "pre-close" technique was used. The leak pressure was measured, and statistical analysis was conducted to compare the leak pressures among the experimental groups.

RESULTS

The gastrostomy openings were successfully closed in all experimental groups. The median (range) values of leak pressure (mmHg) for each experimental group were as follows: one manual suture, 86.0 (75.0-110.0); two manual sutures, 98.5 (44.0-130.0); one PPVCD suture, 96.5 (56.0-119.0); and two PPVCD sutures, 98.0 (66.0-104.0). The Mann-Whitney U test revealed no statistically significant difference in leak pressure between the manual (n = 20) and PPVCD (n = 15) suture groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed no statistically significant difference in leak pressure among the four experimental groups. The Bonferroni post hoc test also revealed no statistically significant difference in the pairwise comparisons among the groups.

CONCLUSION

Application of PPVCD is feasible for the closure of gastrostomy openings in an animal model and is as effective as a manual suture.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

In our in vitro study, percutaneous closure of gastrostomy opening using PPVCD was possible; animal survival studies and development of specific devices are needed before clinical application.