How necessary is upper gastrointestinal study with contrast pre-gastrostomy for patients with feeding difficulties secondary to neurological disorders
Vüsal Caferov, Şenol Emre, Rahşan Özcan, Ayşe Karagöz, Gonca Topuzlu Tekant
Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty Department of Pediatric Surgery
Purpose: To investigate the necessity of pre-operative upper gastrointestinal
contrast study in patients with feeding difficulties due to neurological
disorders who are planned to undergo gastrostomy opening.Cases
and Method: Case records of patients with neurological
disorders that underwent gastrostomy opening between the years 2005-2015 were
evaluated retrospectively. The routine practice in our clinic is as follows;
Pre- operative upper gi contrast study is performed, if an anotomical disorder
such as gastroesophageal reflux and/or hiatal hernia should be detected,
(GER-AD) Stamm Gastrostomy and Nissen Fundoplication (SG-NF) is undertaken
according to the patient’s life expectancy (Group 1). Percutaneus endoscopic
gastrostomy prodecure (PEG) is undertaken if the life expectancy is minimal
and/or there is no evidence of anatomical dysfunction (Group 2). The analysed
variants were age, gender, indication for gastrostomy opening, necessity of
fundoplication, early and late post-op complications.Results: A total of 71 patients had gastrostomies opened with an underlying
etiology of neurological basis. Of these patients 42 were female and 29 were
male. Indications for the procedure were; growth retardation (n:67), aspiration
episodes during feeding (n:51) and swallowing difficulties (n:10). Median age
was 4,6 ( range 1 mo- 16 yr). Hiatal hernia was detected in 2 of the patients
in Group1 (n:39, %55), no event took place during their procedures. Pre-operative
baloon dilatation was performed in 2 patients that had stricture formation
secondary to GER. In Group 1, post-op complication occured in only 1 patient,
which was evisceration. Neurological malignity was present in 6 cases from
Group 2 (n:32,%45) . Among these, 2 cases underwent PEG opening despite the
fact that they were diagnosed with GER. Post-op complication occured in 5
cases. Stamm gastrostomy was perdormed in 2 cases secondary to bleeding. 3
cases developed early post-op abdominal hematoma, of which 2 were followed-up
and 1 was drained percutaneously. 2 cases developed GER that was clinically
presented later on. Stamm gastrostomy was performed in one patient one year
after the first PEG procedure.Conclusion: Upper gastrointestinal contrast study is of value in patients with
neurological disorders who are planned for gastrostomy opennings in means of
detecting GER-AD and determining the
surgical method according to the life expectancy of the patients. Percutaneous
endoscopic gastrostomy is an option in patients that do not show GER-AD in
their contrast studies or the ones that have a minimal life expectancy. While
PEG is generally considered as a minimally invasive procedure, it has a high
complication rates which could be well handled if the procedure is undertaken
at a surgical clinic under general anesthesia. Cases that show aspiration or
recurrent upper respiratory tract infection after PEG procedure shoud be
investigated for GER.
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