I did some close looking at my previous crappy PEG and my current work-horse PEG. Here are some things I learned.

1. The French size apparently refers to the *outer* diameter, not the inner; My Good PEG is 20 French, 6.6mm, which computes to slightly larger than 1/4" and that's what it is on my ruler (Plus, it fits into the 17/64" hole in my drill index, one size up from 1/4") -- My Bad PEG is 12 French is 5/32", slightly less in calculation, fits that hole in drill index. The 12F is actually a loose fit into the F20.

2. The inner diameter can be affected by tubing wall thickness; my 20F PEG is 3/16" inside and the 12F is 3/32" inside -- This means the area of the F20 is *four* times that of the 12F, despite slightly thicker wall.

Both, of course, are reduced by fittings, the 20F more than the 12F, with slightly more than 7/64" (2.78mm or 8.4F).

I am having no problems feeding Nutren 2.0, which is pretty dense at 500 cal/can with pump or syringe through the 20F; I haven't tried it on gravity feed. OTOH, pumping with syringe was a chore with the 12F; no way gravity would have worked.

3. The 20F also sez "traction removable", about which Wiki sez "PEG tubes with a deflatable bumper can be removed simply by pulling the PEG tube out through the abdominal wall once the bumper has been deflated (traction removable PEG tubes or "button" PEG tubes)." The 12F has no bumper on the end, in fact it is tapered for easy placement, and seems to rely on length and some curvature to hinder unintended removal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percutaneous_endoscopic_gastrostomy

Age 67 1/2
Ventral Tongue SCC T2N0M0G1 10/05
Anterior Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 6/08
Base of Tongue SCC T2N0M0G2 12/08
Three partial glossectomy (10/05,11/05,6/08), PEG, 37 XRT 66.6 Gy 1/06
Neck dissection, trach, PEG & forearm free flap (6/08)
Total glossectomy, trach, PEG & thigh free flap (12/08)
On August 21, 2010 at 9:20 am, Pete went off to play with the ratties in the sky.