Biomechanical comparison of two percutaneous gastropexy techniques for securing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes in canine cadavers.

Objective: To biomechanically assess outcomes for 2 percutaneous gastropexy techniques and determine the amount of time necessary to perform the techniques for securing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes in canine cadavers.

Animals: 18 canine cadavers.

Procedures: 6 cadavers were assigned to each of 3 groups (PEG tube only, PEG tube with T-fastener gastropexy, and PEG tube with U-stitch gastropexy). Time to completion of placement of a PEG tube and gastropexy was recorded. After tubes were placed, the stomach and body wall on the left side of the abdomen were removed and biomechanically tested. Maximum tension at the time of initial failure of the PEG tube or gastropexy was recorded.

Results: Significantly more force was required to induce failure for the T-fastener and U-stitch techniques than for the PEG tube only technique. In addition, both the T-fastener and U-stitch techniques required significantly more time for placement than did the PEG tube only technique.

Conclusions And Clinical Relevance: Results suggested that performing a T-fastener or U-stitch gastropexy may decrease the risk of early dislodgement of a PEG tube in dogs. However, studies conducted with these techniques in live dogs would be necessary to confirm this hypothesis. The additional amount of time needed to perform the T-fastener or U-stitch gastropexy would likely be clinically unimportant.