Purpose: To determine the practicability and outcome of fluoroscopic-guided primary one-step treatment of percutaneous gastrostomy (PG) with the system Freka® Gastro Tube (Fresenius Kabi, Germany).
Materials and methods: In 39 patients (mean age 62.7 ± 12.0 years), primary PG was performed based on clinical indication from August 2009 to April 2010. The intervention was performed by an experienced radiologist under aseptic conditions by direct puncture with Freka® Gastro Tube under fluoroscopic guidance. The clinical data and outcome as well as any complications originated from the electronic archive of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.
Results: The intervention was technically successful in all 39 patients. Within the mean follow-up time of 155.3 ± 73.6 days, 29 patients (74.4 %) did not experience complications. 10 patients (25.6 %) had to be revised. Complications manifested after a mean of 135.6 ± 61.2 days and mainly corresponded to accidental dislocation (50 %). One patient had to be surgically revised under suspicion of a malpositioned tube and suspected intestinal perforation. Clinically relevant wound infections were not detected. The total costs per patient were 553.17 € for our single-step treatment (OPS 5 - 431.x) vs. 963.69 € (OPS 5 - 431.x and OPS 8 - 123.0) for the recommended two-step treatment.
Conclusion: Fluoroscopic-guided primary single-step treatment with Freka® Gastro Tube system is feasible and not associated with an increased complication rate when compared to published literature applying a two-step treatment approach. Material costs as well as human and time resources could be significantly reduced using the single-step treatment.
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