A gastrostomy feeding tube insertion is the placement of a feeding tube through the skin and the stomach wall. It goes directly into the stomach.
Alternative Names
Gastrostomy tube insertion; G-tube insertion; PEG tube insertion; Stomach tube insertion; Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube insertion
Description
Gastrostomy feeding tube (G-tube) insertion is done in part using a procedure called endoscopy. This is a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube with a small camera on the end of it. The endoscope is inserted through the mouth and down the esophagus, which leads to the stomach.
After the endoscopy tube is inserted, the skin over the left side of belly (abdomen) area is cleaned and numbed. The doctor makes a small surgical cut in this area. The G-tube is inserted through this cut into the stomach. The tube is small, flexible, and hollow. The doctor uses stitches to close the stomach around the tube.