Gastrojejunostomy
What is a gastrojejunostomy?
A gastrojejunostomy is a minimally invasive procedure in which a long catheter-like tube (called a gastrojejunostomy tube) is inserted through your abdomen and into your small intestine. The tube provides nutritional support to patients who are unable to eat and are unsuitable for a gastrostomy tube due to a blockage preventing food from passing from the stomach into the small intestine, severe paralysis of part of the stomach or a high risk of choking.
How does the procedure work?
If you are on any medication which prevents blood clotting, you will stop taking it before the procedure, if possible.
You should not eat anything before the procedure. The interventional radiologist will insert a tube in your nose which will go into your stomach (called a nasogastric tube) and then will perform an ultrasound of your stomach to check the position of your liver and confirm that the tube is correctly placed
Why perform it?
What are the risks?
The possible complications for a gastrojejunostomy are similar to those for a gastrostomy procedure: peritonitis (inflammation of the thin tissue wall within your abdomen), skin infection around the catheter entry site and bruising. As long as you are suitable for the procedure and the interventional radiologist chooses the technique most suited for you, the risk of complications is low (the rate of procedure-related mortality is 2.4%).
Bibliography
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2. van Overhagen H, Schipper J. Percutaneous jejunostomy. Semin Intervent Radiol 2004; 21(3): 201-206.
3. Bell SD, Carmody EA, Yeung EY, et al: Percutaneous gastrostomy and gastrojejunostomy: additional experience in 519 procedures. Radiology 1995; 194:817-820.
4. Hallisy MJ, Pollard JC. Direct percutaneous jejunostomy. J Vasc Intervent Radiol 1994; 5:625-632.