title: Improved method of gastrostomy tube replacement using a small-caliber transnasal endoscope.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Gastrostomy tube replacement using a new approach through the abdominal-wall stoma with a small-caliber trans-nasal endoscope is feasible, fast, and safe compared with the trans-oral approach.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of a new technique using a trans-nasal endoscope for gastrostomy tube replacement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between June 2005 and December 2013 in the Peking University Third Hospital, 69 patients underwent gastrostomy tube replacement using the trans-oral approach (conventional method) or a small-caliber trans-nasal endoscope inserted through the abdominal-wall stoma (new method). A retrospective review was performed of the medical records of those patients, including demography and information about the surgical procedure and any complications. Patients were classified into the conventional group and the new method group. Descriptive statistics for all continuous variables were mean ± standard deviation and for categorical variables were number and percentage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gastrostomy tube replacement was achieved in 69 of 69 cases (100%); 23 of these procedures were performed using the new method. The surgery time with the conventional method (8.3 ± 2.0 min) was significantly longer than with the new method (6.0 ± 0.9 min, p < 0.001). With the conventional method, there was one patient (2%) with post-operative fever and skin infection; no complications occurred with the new method.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Gastroenterology , Peking University Third Hospital , Beijing , PR China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Gastroenterology , Peking University Third Hospital , Beijing , PR China.
authors.forename: Yonghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Gastroenterology , Peking University Third Hospital , Beijing , PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: a Department of Gastroenterology , Peking University Third Hospital , Beijing , PR China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Gastroenterology , Peking University Third Hospital , Beijing , PR China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D020699:Gastroscopes; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008904:Miniaturization; D057605:Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery / Q000295:instrumentation*
keywords: Small-caliber trans-nasal endoscopy; abdominal-wall stoma; gastrostomy tube replacement; percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy