Outcomes of Surgical, Percutaneous Endoscopic, and Percutaneous Radiologic Gastrostomies

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Abstract
PROVIDING ENTERAL nutrition in patients who cannot ingest nutrients for one reason or another, but who have an otherwise functioning gut, is the most common indication to perform gastrostomy. As a less common reason, gastrostomy is used for patients who require prolonged gastric decompression because of chronic gastrointestinal tract obstruction. In addition, feeding tubes are a common method for long-term enteral feeding. In comparison with parenteral nutrition, feeding tubes are much easier to handle and less expensive, and infectious complications are less common.