Clinical outcomes of open surgical gastrostomy in patients with obstructive head and neck and esophageal carcinoma: a retrospective audit from Khyber Pukhtunkhwa

Abstract

<p><strong>Background and Objective: </strong>Gastrostomy feeding is a well-established procedure for enteral feeding of patients having obstructive malignancy of head and neck (includes oral cavity, pharynx and larynx) and esophagus. This study aimed to assess the mortality and other complications associated with open surgical gastrostomy (OSG) performed under local anesthesia.</p>
 <p><strong>Methods:  </strong>Patients having cancer of head and neck and esophagus who underwent open surgical gastrostomy for feeding purposes at surgical unit, Mufti Mehmood Memorial Teaching Hospital (MMMTH), Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa from January 2013 till December 2019 were included in this study. The patients with lower esophageal cancer involving stomach were excluded from the study. The gastrostomy procedure was performed under local anesthesia. Patients were discharged on 4th to 6th postoperative day after feeding per gastrostomy was fully established. The patients were checked for any complications in ward and during follow up visits on 10th and 30th day postoperatively.</p>
 <p><strong>Results: </strong>This study was<strong> </strong>conducted on 30 consecutive patients fulfilling selection criteria. One patient died in the ward while one patient died after getting discharged in first 30 days postoperatively. Thus, the mortality rate was 6.66 % (n = 2). Regarding minor complications, two patients (6.66 %) had tube blockage, three (10 %) developed peri-catheter infection while the tube got dislodged in one patient (3.33 %).</p>
 <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Open surgical gastrostomy under local anesthesia is a safe and easy procedure with low rate of complications.</p>
 <p><strong>                                                                </strong></p>