Feeding tube procedure is scheduled, what is it like following the procedure. Pain? Leakage? What about eating, do we need to modify the diet until his body acclimates? This is a first step to prepare for therapy next week.

When the patient first gets the feeding tube they are usually in some pain. Most patients will stay over night in the hospital. After a couple days they will feel better. Often the plunger is too tight so if your husband is in alot of pain, check to see if the plastic disc is right next to his skin or if there is about 1/4-1/2 inch space. The doc or nurse can easily loosen it if its too tight.

As far as diet goes, the patient is able to continue to eat normally for as long as possible. Think of the tube as a back up plan. For supplementing the diet. Prescription formula will be given.

Follow up care is usually not the best with the feeding tube. If it isnt offered, ask for a visiting nurse to come help get your husband settled when he first goes home with his new tube. Most places will have visiting nurses who work late to accommodate those who work long hours. As the caregiver, you should be there for any demonstrations. Ask for a feeding pump as well. The pump, along with the supplies will come thru a medical supply company. The doc must prescribe a pump or you wont get one so make sure you ask for it.

Leakage can be controlled by applying whats called a drain sponge (piece of gauze with a slit)to the site. Its a good idea to get some antibiotic cream and apply a dab to the site daily after showers and cover it with a drain sponge.


Best wishes!!!

These procedures are being done by interventional radiology, an in and out procedure. When we first discussed it in the office the PA suggested he would be able to go to work the following day. This seemed extremely optimistic to me. Nursing is coming to the house the next day, he figures we will schedule that visit for the evening hours, after work. I have no idea if a pump has been ordered but, I doubt it. It had not even occurred to me to ask for one, figured we would not get one unless we needed it later. I know very little about feeding tubes outside of what I have read on the internet.
I keep wondering about making him feeds using a very high powered blender. I read the ingredients of the formulas and I am dismayed at the contents. It seems like if a person is highly motivated that formula could be homemade but, I have never even seen a food tube so I feel great hesitation. I also have concerns about his stomach being upset by the formulas when it is already upset by the therapy. My basic instinct is to feed him nourishing foods, not formula that seems to be made with corn syrup, starch and synthetic vitamins (based on the few ingredient listings I can find online). I'm trying desperately to keep an open mind and I understand that the formula will be considered necessary (he is naturally thin and is not easy to get to gain throughout his life). I think amidst all of this, his weight has been a main focus for me.
I forgot to ask if the fact that the tube is new and the body needs to adjust will cause any issue with eating meals? Nausea, cramping, maybe just an odd sense issue? Seems like it might take a bit of acclimation and that that might mean I need to approach making a few meals differently.
Anybody that has walked this way that has encouragement or advice to offer, I am wide open here!
Thanks!

Having a tube in the stomach should not make your husband have nausea. He wont feel the tube at all inside his stomach.

I dont think your husband will be able to go to work for at least 2 or 3 days after having the feeding tube placed. To be honest, most patients feel like they have been punched in the stomach so hard its like their breath has been knocked out of them.

There are hundreds of prescription formulas on the market. They provide a complete balanced diet. I guess it would be possible to create your own formula at home. My concern would be getting all the daily nutrients in and knowing the calories to ensure he gets enough every single day. I have a sensitive stomach too and it took a few formulas before my nutritionist found the right one for me. Other factors that come into play with a sensitive stomach are the speed and consistency of the formula. Usually slowing down and adding water will help make the formula easier to tolerate.

To me it sounds like his intake is going to be a struggle. Every single day he should be taking in a minimum of 2500 calories and 48-60 oz of water. Less and he will have a difficult time getting thru treatments. I cant stress those numbers enough. Ive helped hundreds of OC patients get thru their treatments and have seen what skimping can do. I was a skimper myself and it caused malnutrition, dehydration and ultimately a few hospitalizations.

The link below has alot of good info. Its still under construction so not everything in this section has been finished yet.

Feeding tube info

Joey, my husband got his G tube at interventional Radiology and he went home at the end of the day. His tube is apparently the new kind (we're talking about one and a half years now). He is fed through a large 60 ml syringe with a catheter tip. We don't need a pump and the feeding takes only five minutes. I was advised by his RO not to blend food as there was the risk of blockage in the tube (if it does happen, flush it with some pop, the bubbles will push whatever is blocking the tube through). If the insertion site is red, do three or four saline soaks a day. When the soak is done, do what Christine suggests, put some barrier cream and a drainage sponge on it. That will keep it clean and free of infection.

He is not a skimper, he eats like a horse! Always has. I keep telling the doctors they wish they could eat like he does :-). Right up until now that has been a good thing. He drinks more than 60 ounces of water per day, always has so, that's no problem.
Yes, I am worried and have been ever since this all began. I feed him all the time, he is getting tired of me shoveling food into him at this point but has only put on a couple of pounds.
I really appreciate the support and suggestions.
Thanks!

go for maximum calories (healthy calories) with minimum of effort. Try making him a shake in between meals. Add some protein powder, fresh fruit etc... it will help with healing etc.. hugs. and welcome.

Hello, Kris has had a PEG inserted twice now. He has had the current PEG for the last 2 years - although does not use it.
The first time it was done as an outpatient and I took him home about an hour after it was placed. The second was placed a few days after his salvage surgery when he was an inpatient.
Kris experienced absolutely no pain , he just described it as minor discomfort.
When he did need to use the PEG I used a 50 ml catheter tip syringe and pushed the feed through. As Gloria said, it took less than 5 mins. The key is to always flush after feeds with warm tap water. At least another 50 mls.
We used a drain sponge type dressing initially as there is always some ooze in the first few days. After about a week we stopped using anything around the flange/PEG as we found that this just keeps it warm and moist which is a great environment to encourage bacteria/infection.
About once a month now Kris uses a steroid cream to dissolve the granulation ( pink ) tissue that keeps on growing around the site. for this 24 hour period he does put a dressing on to mop up the goo.
Otherwise no problems.
I applaud your want to blend foods for him. Kris refuses to let me have anything to do with his nutrition and I have had to let it go. There are some sites dedicated to blenderised diets - I'm sure you will find them on a Google search. Many tube users use blenderised foods. The key is making them thin enough liquids to go through the tube and flushing very well after. i hope you do give it a try. I would advise a good blender such as the Vitamix.
Hoping all goes well,
Tammy

I had a PEG tube installed March 3. I had an extraordinary amount of trouble with it, mostly related to ulceration and infection underneath the external disk that is tightened against the skin. I found that the interventional radiology group didn't want to know me or my problems so I had to escalate the level of aggression. Finally, today, I was able to bypass the clown car of people saying "well, we don't know" and I got to see a doctor who immediately pulled it out (the retaining balloon, like every other component of the device, had experienced a catastrophic failure), and replaced it with one a bit more stout with a bigger diameter hose and a larger balloon. It was completely painless and I have a ton of confidence in it now. Nice and tight, no leakage, disk has air holes and stand-offs that hold it off the skin for air. Nice!

The moral of the story is don't take no for an answer. If you have consternations demand to be seen by someone. If you are not satisfied, and especially if it's leaking, don't stop until you see a doctor.

Hi,

If you don't have the PEG done, I would STRONGLY ask if there is any reason why he can not wait until it is really needed. Getting one in when it is needed is not nearly the big hoopla some make it out to be. He could very well get by without one. Many do. I just do not buy the "precautionary" approach. Get it if you NEED it.