Introduction: The establishment of a direct enteral feeding route is critical in the overall treatment of many patients with head and neck cancer. This study evaluated the indications, success rate, and complications associated with endoscopic gastrostomies.
Materials & methods: 71 endoscopic percutaneous gastrostomies were created in 67 patients. The main indication for gastrostomy was the need for nutritional support in malignant head and neck tumors. Two localizations, buccal cavity and oropharynx, comprised 45% of the cases (32/71).
Results: All the procedures were successful. The one severe complication (peritonitis) required laparotomy. The duration of enteral nutrition via gastrostomy varied from two days to more than two years. There were no long-term complications.
Conclusion: The method is simple, cost-saving and is very important to prevent malnutrition, the most predictive parameter for the occurrence of major postoperative complications.