Back to Annual Meeting Posters

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is commonly used to provide enteral nutrition for patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PEG tube placement in these patients in an ambulatory setting.
Methods: An observational, cohort study was conducted to identify patients who underwent a PEG procedure between 2008 and 2012. Inclusion criteria included patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer undergoing outpatient PEG placement. Patient demographics and peri-operative outcomes were analyzed using SPSS analytical predictive software.
Results: During this study 52 PEG tubes were placed in patients with head/neck cancer as an outpatient procedure. There were no significant differences in primary malignancy site. 28.8% were female and 71.2% were male, with ages ranging from 19-82 and a median age of 58. Three patients (5.8%) were admitted post-procedure due to the senior author's judgment. There were no procedure related 30-day complications. One patient was re-admitted for dehydration unrelated to the PEG placement. Seven (13.5%) patients sought further care for pain control. Five patients (9.6%) made one post-operative phone call to the clinic compared to three (5.8%) who made more than one. There were six patients (11.5%) with long-term complaints; three complained of discharge, three of abdominal wall pain, and one of a cracked PEG tube. There were no mortalities within thirty days.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that placement of PEG tubes in patients with diagnosed head and neck cancer can be accomplished safely and effectively in an outpatient setting. Complication rates were low and patient complaints were successfully managed without re-admission. Acknowledging the safety profile of ambulatory PEG tube placement by general surgeons could lead to an increased percentage of patients avoiding hospitalization and its subsequent risk of nosocomial complications and increased cost.