title: Prospective evaluation of absorbable gastropexy anchor indwelling time in 33 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the time to absorbable suture gastropexy anchor release and gastropexy-related complications in patients receiving percutaneous image-guided transabdominal gastrostomy or gastrojejunostomy tube placement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three consecutive patients (16 women; mean age, 63.5 y; range, 25-92 y) undergoing fluoroscopically guided (n = 32) or computed tomography-guided (n = 1) percutaneous transabdominal gastrostomy (n = 26) or gastrojejunostomy (n = 7) were prospectively enrolled in a single-center study. Each patient had three synthetic absorbable suture T-fasteners inserted and were followed until all gastropexy button-locks released naturally, were cut by a health care provider, or were lost to follow-up. Patients or caregivers were contacted weekly to determine timing of gastropexy button-lock release and assess for postprocedural complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All three T-fastener button-type suture locks released naturally in 14 of 33 patients (42.4%) at a median of 29.5 days (mean, 26.7 d; range, 8-40 d). One or more T-fastener sutures were cut in 10 of 33 patients (30.3%), and nine patients (27.3%) were lost to follow-up. Accounting for patient censorship, T-fasteners in all 33 patients remained intact for a median of 35 days. Local infections developed in three patients (9%) on days 22, 25, and 34.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Relative to nonabsorbable gastropexy sutures, absorbable suture gastropexy anchors offer the potential to reduce complications associated with long gastropexy indwelling times. However, absorbable gastropexy anchor buttons usually remain intact for longer than 3 weeks after insertion. A postprocedural plan for gastropexy inspection and removal within 3 weeks should continue to be emphasized to avoid local complications, even for absorbable suture kits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York 10065, USA. durackj@mskcc.org
authors.forename: Jeremy C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Durack
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ronnie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sebro
authors.forename: Kan K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoch
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kerlan
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D059485:Gastropexy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013537:Sutures; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome