The Use of a Fixation Dressing to Reduce Complications After Neonatal Gastrostomy Tube Placement.

ABSTRACT

Objective: Gastrostomy tubes (GTs) are one of the most common procedures in neonatal surgery, and their malfunction represents one of the most common complaints in the emergency room and clinic. Complications can occur in up to one-third of patients and include pain, peristomal leak, and infection, but can range in severity. We hypothesize that a preventative strategy employing a GT fixation dressing at the time of operation minimizes these postoperative complications in neonates. Approach: All patients less than 1 year of age who underwent laparoscopic GT placement by a single surgeon in the study period were reviewed. All tubes were secured in place on the external abdominal wall for 2 weeks postoperatively. Demographics and outcomes were evaluated. Results: Fifty-three percent of our cohort were male, and 47% were premature. The most common indication for placement was failure to thrive (59%), and common comorbid conditions were characterized as neurologic (71%), and cardiac (59%). The dressing did not prevent hypertrophic granulation tissue formation, but no patient experienced surgical site infection or device-related pressure injury at 30 and 120 days postoperatively. No patient required reoperation or readmission. Innovation This simple, one-time, cost-effective fixation dressing has the potential to reduce some of the most common postoperative surgical issues in neonatal patients and can be applied in almost any health care setting. Conclusions: A dressing aimed at tube fixation and immobilization for the first two postoperative weeks averts some of the major complications of GT placement over a standard follow-up period as compared with the literature.