title: The use of gastrostomy procedures in HNC patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the gastrostomy procedures performed in HNC patients admitted to Coltea Clinical Hospital in order to underline the similarities and differences to the data published worldwide.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our retrospective study contains 64 HNC cases that met the inclusion criteria between 2008 and 2011.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study group presents numerous specific characteristics (a larger number of cases aged over 55 than younger patients; elective use of classic gastrostomy instead of newer techniques; approximately two thirds of the gastrostomies were performed in patients with laryngeal carcinoma; only one third approximately of the cases benefited from prophylactic gastrostomy; etc.).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  22% of the gastrostomies were made after the appearance of a pharyngocutaneous fistula. Therefore we will begin a future prospective study in order to ascertain the value of prophylactic PEG in preventing the appearance of pharyngocutaneous fistulas.
authors.affiliation: E N T Department, Coltea Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania. ionangheldoc@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Anghel
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Anghel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dumitru
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cristian
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burcos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000628:therapy*; D017577:Cutaneous Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016154:Digestive System Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000379:methods*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome