In which step should abdominal wall skin incision be made in percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy procedure?: A retrospective comparative study

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is used in patients requiring long-term nutritional support and is more physiological than parenteral nutrition. Various minor and major complications may develop during the procedure. This study aimed to evaluate how the timing of the skin incision during the procedure affects complications. In 80 out of a total of 192 patients, a skin incision was made after lidocaine injection, and in 112 patients, a skin incision was made while the PEG tube was being pulled out of the stomach. Both groups were monitored for possible complications and compared using appropriate statistical methods. A total of 192 patients, 94 women and 98 men, were included in this study. The median age of the patients was 77 years. The most common indications for PEG were cerebrovascular disease, Alzheimer disease, and hypoxic encephalopathy. The most common complication was PEG tube dislocation. Other complications that developed included peristomal infection/cellulitis, bleeding, peristomal leak, PEG tube obstruction, and buried-bumper syndrome. Indications and comorbid conditions showed a similar distribution in both groups. No statistically significant differences were found in terms of complications between the groups. PEG is a very effective procedure with appropriate indications and preparation and has low rates of serious complications. There was no difference in terms of complications that may occur between making the incision after applying a local anesthetic to the skin and making it while the PEG tube was being removed from the stomach.