title: Indications, complications and long-term follow-up of patients undergoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: A retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastroenterology units have faced a major increase in referrals for PEG insertion over the last decade. For this reason we decided to review our PEG insertion procedures with regard to indications, complications and follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  The indications, success of procedure, complications, long-term results of PEG in patients of Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Haydarpasa Training Hospital between October 2002 and April 2009 were retrospectively evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  81 patients had undergone PEG insertion and follow-up information has been available for 77 patients. 40 were men with the mean age of all patients 70.74 ± 20.82 (range 20 to 104 years). PEG was successfully placed in all patients except in one patient who had gastric bleeding during the procedure. There was only one mortality related with the placement procedure. The most common indication for PEG was neurologic disorders in 71 (92%) patients. Other indications were head and neck cancers in 6 (8%) patients. Median follow-up period was 12 months (range, 3 days to 78 months). PEG related complications were seen in only 14 patients (18.2%) in 16 events with a total complication rate as 21%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PEG placement is a safe procedure and well-tolerated with a low mortality and complication rate even in older patients who have multiple co-morbidities under adequate precautions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. fatihermis2@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ermis
authors.forename: Melih
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozel
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oncu
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazgan
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Demirturk
authors.forename: Ahmet Kemal
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gurbuz
authors.forename: Taner
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akyol
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nazik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000401:mortality*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult