Summary: Percutaneous radiological gastrostomy (PRG) and gastrojejunostomy (PRGJ) tube insertion
has been shown in the literature to be a safe and effective procedure performed by
interventional radiologists (IR). While the vast majority of cases are successful,
PRG/PRGJ procedures have potential complications of which the IR should be aware.
The complications are categorized into major and minor. The incidence of major and
minor complications ranges from 0.4 to 22.5% and from 13 to 43%, respectively. In
addition, the complication rate has been shown to be similar for both endoscopically
and radiologically placed tubes. The procedure-related mortality rates range from
0 to 2%. The 30-day mortality rates range from 6.7 to 26% which are due to the underlying
comorbidities of the debilitated population who receive enteral feeding tubes. Both
major and minor complications will be discussed with examples of both categories obtained
retrospectively over a 5-year period at a 1070 bed community/teaching hospital. It
is hoped the discussion will heighten the awareness of potential complications and
strategies for their management.
Conclusion: PRG and PRGJ are commonly performed procedures with high success rates. However,
the operator should be aware of potential complications, both major and minor. It
is hoped our educational exhibit demonstrated through text and example cases from
our institution, a myriad of potential complications, suggestion for management, and
tips for prevention.
