Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: The Benin experience

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), a gastrointestinal access, is one of the means of ensuring the sustenance of enteral feeding in patients who cannot swallow or eat. The procedure of PEG in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) is new with increasing acceptance by the clinicians and patients as it reduces morbidity and fosters early discharge home. Aims/Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the need and usefulness for PEG, audit the process in its initial introduction, and document patient outcomes. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective study done over a 4-year period (2015-2018) and included all consecutive patient referred for PEG in the endoscopic suite of UBTH. Patient demographics, indication for PEG, outcome of the procedure, and complications were entered into a pro forma and the data analyzed. Results: A total of 17 patients had PEG over a period of the study. The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. The age range was 35–94 years, with a mean age of 68.6 years. Cardiovascular accident was the most common indication for PEG (64%; 10 patients), whereas intracranial tumors were 12% (2 patients), and other indications, namely severe head injury, dementia, and sepsis were 6% (1 patient) each. All patients had a successful procedure. Surgical site infection occurred in one patient, whereas another patient had extrusion of the PEG tube 1 month after the procedure. Conclusion: PEG is a safe procedure. The authors advocate the routine use of PEG in patient who cannot eat, especially in a subset of cardiovascular accident patients to sustain adequate nutrition while reducing the morbidity associated with nasogastric intubation and hospitalization.