A Short Guide To Gastrostomy Tube (G-Tube)

A Short Guide To Gastrostomy Tube (G-Tube) What Is A Gastrostomy Tube?

A gastrostomy tube or let’s say a G-tube is a feeding tube that is placed through the abdomen and into the stomach to provide an alternative way of intaking food and/or medicines to the patients who have trouble eating.

If a patient is unable to get enough food by mouth or in need of extra calories to grow, it requires surgery to insert a tube that further provides direct access to the patient’s stomach for feeding, hydration, or medication. A doctor or healthcare physician can recommend availing G Tube replacement service for a variety of medical conditions, but the most common is to enable patients to eat through a tube replacement.

Who Needs A Gastrostomy Tube?

Any patient who struggles to eat food and/or any type of supplemental medication directly from their mouth, due to the below reasons need a GTube replacement: ● Difficulty in swallowing or digesting ● Lack of nutritional or fluid intake by mouth ● Congenital complexities of mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, etc.

Risk factors that increase the eating disorders in patients include: ● ● ● ● ●

Stroke Burns Mental disability ie. cerebral palsy Motor neuron disease Dementia

How To Prepare For The Procedure?

Before the procedure takes place, the doctor at wound care treatment California will ask the patient if they are on any kind of medication such as warfarin (Coumadin), aspirin (Bufferin), or clopidogrel (Plavix). These types of blood thinners or anti-inflammatory medications are required to be stopped consuming at least one week before the procedure. Inform about any pregnancy if there is while for diabetic patients, oral medications or insulin can be checked or also. The doctors will insert a flexible tube with an attached camera using an endoscopy. Hence anesthesia is essential or patients may be asked to abstain from food a night before the treatment.

How Is The Tube Inserted?

There are mainly three ways a G tube replacement service can take place: ● The Laparoscopic Technique -Two small incisions are made in the belly - one is for the G-tube and another one is for inserting a laparoscope that helps the doctor visualize your stomach lining. ● Open surgery - When other methods seem inappropriate, the surgeons use this method where large incisions are made. ● PEG Procedure - Stands for Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy where an endoscope is inserted through the mouth and into the stomach to find the right place for an incision.

What About Post-Operative Care?

The patient will be asked to take proper rest after the procedure. In addition to this, they will be provided a set of instructions regarding: ● Cleaning & caring for the tube. ● Tackling common potential issues such as unintentionally the tube falling out. ● Learning how to feed through the tube etc.

Apart from these instructions, the patients should also be careful about bathing, dressing, working out, taking medicines through the tube or venting the tube, etc. A visit to wound care treatment California is essential to keep a check on whether everything is on the track or not.

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