Also, while having a PEG inserted may under "normal" conditions (whatever those are since a PEG is usually inserted when soemthing is not normal) be "minor", it isn't something I would have wanted to have done when my throat was raw from radiation! I suspect that makes it much more major than it was to have it done beforehand.

I have a love-hate relationship with my PEG. It's what has kept me alive and healing. OTOH, I am praying that I can get enough swallowing ability back to get off it. I do NOT think I have problems with swallowing *because* I have a PEG, though. The treatment made swallowing difficult and the PEG saved my life despite that.

I had mine inserted over two weeks before I started radiation and I kept eating and not doing the PEG during the first two weeks of radaition, but by the fourth week, I was really glad I had it as swallowing had become excruciatingly painful. For some people, they'll be lucky enough to never get to that point and if that's the case, all you did was prepare for the worst. It's VERY simple to get rid of the PEG at the end.

Nelie