Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Procedure of choice.

Operative gastrostomy (OG) for gastrointestinal decompression or feeding has stood the test of time. Nevertheless, this procedure is often associated with significant morbidity and occasional mortality. Furthermore, although it is often performed under local anesthesia, general anesthesia is frequently necessary. A recent alternative to OG is percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). The purpose of this study is to describe our experience with 100 consecutive PEGs in 98 patients. There were no complications, and no patient died as a result of PEG. Furthermore, PEG never required general anesthesia and was rapid and less costly than OG. Since PEG is so simple to perform, it may be employed earlier in the patient's course, thus avoiding nasogastric feedings or parenteral alimentation. PEG is the procedure of choice should gastrostomy be needed.