Current Considerations in Direct Percutaneous Endoscopic Jejunostomy

Abstract

For patients who are unable to meet their nutritional needs orally, enteral feeding via a percutaneous approach has become the mainstay of therapy. However, traditional enteral feeding methods, such as percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, may not be viable options for patients with severe gastroparesis or gastric outlet obstruction. Direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (DPEJ) is an enteral access method that was first described more than 20 years ago and has gained popularity among gastroenterologists. This review discusses the indications for and contraindications to DPEJ, the procedure, the application of DPEJ in specific subsets of patients with gastrointestinal disorders, and presents a brief tabular summary of complications and success rates of DPEJ in case series published since 2000.BACKGROUND: Direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (DPEJ) is a well-known approach to deliver postpyloric enteral nutritional support to individuals who cannot tolerate gastric feeding. However, it is technically difficult, and some case series have reported significant procedural failure rates. The present article describes current indications, successes and complications of DPEJ placementMETHODS: A MEDLINE database search was performed to identify relevant articles using the key words “direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy”, “percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy”, and “percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy with a jejunal extension tube”. Additional articles were identified by a manual search of the references cited in the key articles obtained in the primary search.RESULTS: DPEJ is gradually becoming more common in the treatment of patients who cannot tolerate gastric feeding. Differences in patient selection and technique modifications may contribute to the various success rates reported. Failure is most often due to inadequate transillumination or gastroduodenal obstruction. Currently, there are limited data to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of DPEJ.CONCLUSION: The clinical use of DPEJ is increasing. With appropriate care and expertise, DPEJ may prove to be reliable and safe.