Patients who have difficulty swallowing, problems with their appetite or an inability to take adequate nutrition through the mouth can benefit from this procedure.

A dressing will be placed on the PEG site following the procedure. This dressing is usually removed after one or two days. After that you should clean the site once a day with diluted soap and water and keep the site dry between cleansing. No special dressing or covering is needed.

Specialized liquid nutrition, as well as fluids, can be given through the PEG tube. If the PEG tube is placed because of swallowing difficulty (e.g., after a stroke), there will still be restrictions on oral intake. Although a few PEG patients may continue to eat or drink after the procedure, this is a very important issue to discuss with your physician.

Complications can occur with the PEG placement. Possible complications include pain at the PEG site, leakage of stomach contents around the tube site and dislodgment or malfunction of the tube. Possible complications include infection of the PEG site, aspiration (inhalation of stomach contents into the lungs), bleeding and perforation (an unwanted hole in the bowel wall). Your doctor can describe symptoms to watch for that could indicate a possible complication.

PEG tubes can last for months or years. However, because they can break down or become clogged over extended periods of time, they might need to be replaced. Your doctor can easily remove or replace a tube without sedatives or anesthesia, although your doctor might opt to use sedation and endoscopy in some cases. Your doctor will remove the tube using firm traction and will either insert a new tube or let the opening close if no replacement is needed. PEG sites close quickly once the tube is removed, so accidental dislodgment requires immediate attention.