Gastrostomy / Feeding Tube Placement
Feeding tubes are an important medical intervention that provide prolonged nutritional support for patients for whom chewing and/or swallowing may be problematic. Also called enteral feeding or enteral nutrition, the placement of a feeding tube allows you or someone you love to continue to receive needed nutrition directly into the stomach, bypassing the mouth and throat.
What Is Gastrostomy?
A gastrostomy is a procedure that places the feeding tube through the skin and abdominal wall, directly into the stomach.
Interventional radiologists, like the board-certified experts at Florida Endovascular and Interventional, use real-time imaging guidance to conduct the feeding tube placement – using the least invasive methods possible. This allows our patients to avoid surgery and hospitalization, which generally means a speedier recovery time and significantly reduced risks, scarring, and post-op pain.
We perform the placement of a gastrostomy tube (G-tube) at our fully equipped surgery suites for the ultimate inpatient comfort, ease, and safety. Patients are sedated and should feel no pain or discomfort during the procedure.
How G-Tube Insertion is Performed
G-tube placement by an interventional radiologist is both safe and effective.
After a patient is sedated and prepped, the doctor will advance a special tube from the nostrils through the esophagus and down into the stomach, using real-time X-ray fluoroscopic guidance. Once the tube is in place, it is used to inflate the stomach with air. This helps to separate internal organs from the abdominal wall and makes it easier to perform a needle puncture through the skin of the abdomen.
The doctor will then guide a small rubber catheter (the feeding tube) into the stomach, verifying it is in place by using more contrast dye. Once the feeding tube is in place, it is secured to the skin with a dressing over it. No stitches are necessary.
It is important to follow the directions of your doctor following a G-tube placement. For example, you will likely be asked not to eat or drink for at least 12 hours following the procedure. You will be provided information and guidance on the proper care and handling of the feeding tube.
Who May Benefit From a Feeding Tube?
There are many different medical conditions or symptoms that may indicate use of a feeding tube in a patient. These conditions or symptoms include:
- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
- Stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Advanced dementia
- Neuromuscular disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Digestive or bowel disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Nonsurgical Feeding Tube Placement in South Florida
If you or someone you love may benefit from a feeding tube, the interventional radiologists at Florida Endovascular and Interventional can help. We have three locations in South Florida to serve you: in Miami Lakes, Plantation, and Aventura.
To find out more about our in-office, minimally invasive gastrostomy procedure, call Florida Endovascular and Interventional at (786) 534-2555 or request your appointment now.
