PEG

What is PEG?

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), a procedure to effectivly place a tube to feed (Food,Liquids,medications) directly into the stomach without performing an open operation on the abdomen.

Who needs PEG?

Individuals with following conditions may require PEG procedure:

• Difficulty in swallowing.
• Some diseses of throat, esophagus (Food pipe)

A Gastrostomy may be performed in following conditions too:

• Esophageal atresia - It is condition in which the esophagus is not fully developed.
• Esophageal stricture - Tube carrying food to stmach is very narrow.
• Esophageal cancer - A tumor that grows in lining of esophagus.

How to Perform PEG?

PEG is generally performed by an ENT Specialist ,Radiologist or a Gastroenterologist in a hospital,but not necessary in operation theatre.
Firstly, patients are given anesthesia (General or Local) so that they remain unconscious and do not experience pain during the procedure.
An endoscope (a flexible, lighted instrument) is inserted into the mouth,passing through throat and esophagus to the stomach. The surgeon
then makes a small incision (cut) on the side of the abdomen.This procedure allows the doctor to ensure position of feeding tube (PEG Tube)
into the stomach.Patients can go home on the same day or the next day.

Preparation Before PEG?

• Do not eat or drink anything for atleast 8 hours before the procedure.
• Inform the physician if you have any allergies.
• If you are a diabetic, then you may need to adjust the insulin dosage on the day of procedure.
• Do not take Aspirin,anti-inflammatory drugs or blood thinning medications atleast 1 week prior to procedure.

Complications with PEG?

Following are the possible complications which a patient may experience:

• Infection at the PEG site.
• leakage of diet around the site.
• Pain around site.
• Bleeding.

After the PEG?

• Do not drive or operate any machinery for 24 hours after the procedure.
• After removal of dressing (usually 1 or 2 days), clean the site with soap and water once in a day.
• Consult your dietitian for guidance to use and care for PEG tube.
• Usually, PEG tubes function well for 1 to 3 years.

* If you encounter any problem with your tube, please consult your doctor.