Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital experience.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) was performed on 32 patients (mean age 75 years) who were dysphagic but enteral alimentation was possible. Seventeen patients were recovering from a stroke; the interval between the onset of stroke and PEG averaged 44 days. The procedure was successful and well tolerated by 16 of these 17 patients. Ten patients (31%) still had a functioning PEG, a median of 30 weeks after placement. Seven patients whose swallowing recovered had their tubes removed an average of 3 months after their insertion. Fifteen patients (47%) subsequently died from their underlying disease, a mean of 126 days following PEG. There were no deaths directly related to catheter placement. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is a useful alternative to surgical gastrostomy in elderly patients with long-term oral feeding problems.