Feeding tube replacement: not always that simple!
Although surgical gastrostomy is not a technically troublesome surgery, the procedure may be accompanied by unfavorable outcomes. Most complications occur early in the post-operative period and include feeding tube dislodgment, stomal infection, peritonitis, and pneumonia. The authors report the case of an 83-year-old man who underwent a surgical gastrostomy because of a swallowing disorder after an ischemic stroke. Nine months after the procedure, the feeding tube dislodged and a new tube was inserted with a certain delay and with some difficulty, causing a false path and consequently an intrabdominal abscess after diet infusion. The outcome was fatal. The authors call attention for meticulous care with the insertion of feeding tubes and advise the performance of imaging control to assure its precise positioning.
Surgery Division - Hospital Universitário - Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo/SP - Brazil . ; Surgery Department - Clínica Girassol, Luanda - Angola .
Mateus Quitembo
MQ
Soares da Silva
Surgery Division - Hospital Universitário - Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo/SP - Brazil .
Alex
A
Lederman
Surgery Division - Hospital Universitário - Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo/SP - Brazil .
Ricardo Frank
RF
Coelho da Rocha
Surgery Division - Hospital Universitário - Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo/SP - Brazil .
Rodrigo Montenegro
RM
Lourenção
Gastrostomy; Peritonitis; Shock Septic