title: Postoperative complications following percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy are common in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inserting a feeding tube using percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy may be necessary to ensure that children with eating problems receive sufficient enteral nutrition. The aim of this study was to investigate the perioperative and postoperative complications of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy when the pull-through method was the standard procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective review of 229 children (50.7% male) who underwent a gastrostomy procedure at Odense University Hospital, Denmark, from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2012. The median age of the children was 1.6 years (range: 0-14.9), and the follow-up period was 36 months. Complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 167 postoperative complications occurred in 118 of the 229 patients (51.5%). Of these, 89 were grade 1 complications, 49 were grade 2 complications, and 29 were grade 3b complications. No gastrostomy-related deaths were observed, and no single preoperative risk factor was identified. Perioperative complications were experienced by 2.6% of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gastrostomy feeding tube placement was associated with a high rate of postoperative complications of various grades when the pull-through method was the standard procedure. A consensus on how to report and grade complications arising from this procedure is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Qvist
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ellebaek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Clavien-Dindo classification; Feeding tube placement; Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy; Perioperative complications; Postoperative complications