Percutaneous radiological gastrostomy: single-puncture double-anchor technique.

PURPOSE: We evaluated technical success, safety and effectiveness of percutaneous radiological gastrostomy (PRG) with a modified technique: single puncture and double anchor.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

From January 2008 to June 2011, 163 patients underwent PRG with a single-puncture double-anchor technique. The stomach was punctured with a 17-gauge Chiba needle, and gastropexy was performed by placing two anchors in the gastric lumen. Finally, a 12-F Wills-Oglesby percutaneous gastrostomy catheter was inserted. Technical success and complications at 30 days were evaluated on the basis of imaging and patients' medical records.

RESULTS

PRG was successfully completed in all 163 patients. Only a single puncture was required in all patients. The average PRG procedure time was 9 min. Three patients had major complications: haemorrhage (n=2) and pneumoperitoneum (n=1). Ten patients had minor complications: tube malfunction/breakage (n=9), and leakage through the insertion site (n=1). Two patients died 30 days after the procedure.

CONCLUSIONS

Single-puncture double-anchor PRG is a fast, safe and effective technique.