1992 Volume 34 Issue 11 Pages 2642-2648_1
The authors examined the safety and durability of the Sacks-Vine (S-V) and Introducer (Int) method in recently performed Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies (PEGS). The subjects of the study included 30 patients, having an average age of 76.2 years, on whom PEGs were performed between March, 1989 and October, 1990. All of the patients were incapable of oral ingestion as a results of damage to the central nervous system. The S-V method was used in 19 and the Int method in 11 cases. Each patient was examined endoscopically approximately two weeks after the operation. Although no major postoperative complications were observed, 9 of the patients had complications requiring immediate treatment. These complications appeared more frequently in patients on whom the Int method had been used. There was no significant difference between the methods in the occurrence of gastric mucosal disorders. Durability-related problems, defined as tube trouble such as tube obstruction, balloon rupture, etc., occurred more frequently with the Int method, requiring repeated tube replacement. Although the Int method proved extremely easy to perform, both methods could be applied with safety. The authors concluded that the results of this study will be useful for the development of improved method.
