gastrostomy(Color)What is it?

Depending on the illness of your child, there may be some reason that it is difficult for them to receive nutrition through their mouth. In such cases, nutrition is often initially administered through a tube inserted through the nose into the stomach. However, in some cases, due to physical deformities, it is often difficult to insert the tube. Also, having a tube in the nose can be painful for the child. For this reason, an increasing number of children are undergoing gastrostomy. A gastrostomy involves placing a tube into the stomach through the abdominal wall. Therefore, surgery is required initially. Surgery for a gastrostomy alone can be performed with a small incision in less than an hour.

Infusion through the gastrostomy tube can be done in the same way as with a nasal tube. Also, blended food or paste food can be used.

As a pre-surgery test, we check for reflux from the stomach to the esophagus. If gastrostomy alone is not sufficient, anti-reflux surgery will also be performed.

If the surgery is only for a gastrostomy, you will only need to be hospitalized for a few days after the surgery.

After you are discharged from the hospital, we will replace the gastrostomy tube as an outpatient, and we will also provide long-term follow-up care together with your family. Please feel free to contact us at any time if you have any questions after the surgery.

Problems with gastrostomy

In recent years, the number of children receiving gastrostomy tubes has been increasing. However, some patients are experiencing problems with their gastrostomy tubes for a variety of reasons. Common problems include gastrostomy leakage and skin erosion around the tube. If adjusting the size of the tube or changing the nutritional supplement does not improve the condition, the cause may lie in the location of the tube (the location of the stomach or abdomen). If the cause of gastrostomy leakage is due to the location of the tube, it may not be resolved by gastrostomy care alone. Please contact us if you are experiencing problems with your gastrostomy tube, such as gastrostomy leakage.