Gastrostomía quirúrgica mínimamente invasiva

Goal: Description of a simple surgical gastrostomy technique fulfilling minimally-invasive surgery criteria and presentation of the results obtained with the same, compared with those of other surgical gastrostomies and percutaneous techniques. Scope: Patients from various wards in the Miguel Servet Teaching Hospital in Zaragoza, whether admitted or out-patients, all seen by the Hospital Nutrition Unit and where food-restricting gastrostomy is indicated. Patients and methods: Prospective study including the first fifteen successive patients in whom a minimally-invasive surgical gastrostomy technique has been applied between January 1st, 2001, and June 30th, 2002, and in whom it was not possible, for a variety of reasons, to perform any kind of percutaneous gastrostomy. The technique was applied in the operating theatre, under local anaesthetic, using a Flexiflo 20 F gastrostomy probe and with antibiotic prophylaxis (Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Acid: 2 g IV pre-operatively). Patients were assessed as out-patients by the Nutrition and Surgery Unit after 10, 30 and 60 days. Results: The procedure could be successfully completed in all cases. The mean time of the procedure’s duration was 45 minutes. In 5 patients, the procedure was performed without admission to hospital. The functionality of the device was 100% and it was effective from 10 days after the operation. Morbidity: 6.6%. Mortality after 60 days: 0%. Conclusions: This is a procedure which is safe, simple, economic and capable of being performed as an out-patient procedure, thus complying with the criteria for minimally-invasive techniques. It is complementary or an alternative to percutaneous techniques in selected cases or where these are impossible, have failed or are contraindicated. (Nutr Hosp 2003, 18:264-268)