Laparoscopic Feeding Jejunostomy for Feeding Access
In patients who are unable to eat by mouth, feeding access is required. This alternate access can be temporary or permanent.
Common conditions that require this alternate access include:
- Head and neck cancers
- Post-radiation treatment stiffening or fibrosis
- Corrosive injury (acid or alkali consumption) to the food pipe and stomach
- Injuries to the face and neck
- Terminally ill patients
- After major abdominal surgeries where prolonged recovery is predicted
Symptoms:
- Inability to eat
- Difficulty or pain on swallowing
- Recurrent reflux or food reversing into the chest
- Repeated cough and infection due to aspiration (food entering air passages and lungs)
- Inadequate nutrition and nutritional optimization prior to any definitive surgery
Diagnosis:
- Blood investigations including hemoglobin and protein level estimation
- CT abdomen and pelvis with IV and/or oral contrast to rule out disease in the distal or away portions of the digestive system
Treatment:
Involves placing a tube into the intestine at an appropriate place and bringing it out to enable feeding.
- Open Feeding Jejunostomy – when general anesthesia is very risky
- Laparoscopic Feeding Jejunostomy
Laparoscopic Feeding Jejunostomy: Using small keyholes, a segment of the small intestine is identified. A tube of adequate diameter or caliber is inserted into the intestine and fixed in a water-tight fashion. The other end of this tube is brought out through the abdominal muscles and fixed to the skin. The tube is adequate enough to take in only liquid foods.
