Percutaneous sonographically assisted endoscopic gastrostomy for difficult cases with interposed organs.

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective observational study was to clarify the usefulness and safety of percutaneous sonographically assisted endoscopic gastrostomy or duodenostomy (PSEGD) using the introduction method.

Methods: The information for the sequential 22 patients who could not undergo standard percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and underwent PSEGD for 3 y was extracted and was reviewed. In standard PEG, we performed pushing out of the stomach from the mediastinum and full distention to adhere the gastric wall to the peritoneal wall without interposing of the intraperitoneal tissues by air inflation and a turning-over procedure of the endoscope, four-point square fixation of the stomach to the peritoneal wall by using a Funada-style gastric wall fixation kit under diaphanoscopy, extracorporeal thumb pushing, and in difficult cases extracorporeal ultrasound guidance, and if necessary confirmation of fixation of the gastric wall to the peritoneal wall and placement of the PEG tube without any interposed tissues by using ultrasound.

Results: Twenty-one patients (95.5%) successfully underwent PSEGD. Early complications (more than grade 2 in Clavien-Dindo classification) just after the procedure occurred in one case (active oozing). We did not encounter a case with mispuncture of the intraperitoneal organs and tissues. Delayed complications occurring within 1 mo were pneumonia in five patients, including death in three cases; bleeding from puncture site in two patients; and atrial fibrilation in one patient.

Conclusion: PSEGD using the introduction method is a useful procedure for difficult patients in whom intraperitoneal organ or tissue is suspected to be interposed between the abdominal wall and stomach.