Percutaneous gastrostomy with gastropexy: experience in 125 patients

We report our experience with radiologically guided percutaneous tube gastrostomy in 125 patients by using a gastropexy technique in which the anterior gastric wall is nonsurgically sutured to the anterior abdominal wall with percutaneously placed T-fasteners before catheter insertion. Short-term follow-up of up to 2 weeks was available in all patients. In 63 patients, long-term follow-up (greater than 4 weeks; average, 3.5 months; maximum, 1 year) was available. Catheter placement was successful in 124 (99%) of 125 patients, including three patients with anatomic changes after Bilroth II hemigastrectomy and two patients with failed endoscopic attempts. There were no deaths related to the procedure, and no patients required surgical intervention for complications attributable to the gastrostomy procedure. The 30-day mortality rate was 11% (n = 7). These deaths were due to cardiorespiratory arrest and were not attributable to the gastrostomy procedure. Major complications occurred in 1.6% (n = 1) and minor complications in 9.5% (n = 6). These results indicate that percutaneous gastrostomy with gastropexy is a safe and effective technique for placement of catheters in the stomach.