Review of Percutaneous Transesophageal Gastrostomy: A Multi-Hospital Academic Institution's Case Series of 24 Patients

Abstract Percutaneous transesophageal gastrostomy (PTEG) is a minimally invasive technique involving percutaneous placement of an enteral tube via an esophagostomy in patients for whom conventional gastrostomy is contraindicated. We present a series of 24 patients who received PTEG, discuss indications for the procedure, and review outcomes. A retrospective chart review of the EMR was performed for patients who received PTEG from March 2016 through October 2021. Twenty-four patients were identified, and their records were reviewed for placement indication, technical success, adverse events, feeding complications, and replacement. Twenty-four patients (aged 29–91) required gastric tube placement for either enteral feeding or palliative venting. Conventional gastrostomy was contraindicated for reasons including difficult anatomy (eight), gastric surgery (five), malignancy (four), ascites (four), and wounds/infections (three). Technical success rate for placement was 100%. Minor postprocedural complications included local cellulitis, significant tube clogging, and dislodgement. There was one major complication, a significant bleed through the catheter entry site, which was successfully treated with a carotid covered stent. PTEG is safe and effective and should be strongly considered for gastric drainage or provisional supplemental nutrition in patients for whom percutaneous gastrostomy is contraindicated or technically not feasible.