Longevity of Balloon‐stabalized Skin‐level Gastrostomy Devive

Abstract

ABSTRACTObjective:The gastrostomy button is increasingly used in patients requiring long‐term enteral feeding. No data are available addressing the longevity of balloon‐type gastrostomy buttons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the longevity of balloon‐type gastrostomy buttons in children and the cause of the button removal.Patients and methods:During a period of 2.5 years, 165 gastrostomy (Mic‐Key®, Medical Innovations Corporation, Draper, Utah, U.S.A.) buttons were inserted in 84 children. In all patients, the button replaced a standard tube gastrostomy. The first button was usually inserted under general anesthesia at least 2 months after the insertion of a surgical gastrostomy tube. Additional replacement was performed without sedation.Results:Mean longevity of balloon‐type gastrostomy buttons was 5 months (range, 14 days–14 months). Causes of button removal were: inner balloon rupture (n = 101, 61%); leak around button or deflation of the balloon (n = 23, 14%); accidental removal (n = 20, 12%); device damage (n = 5), and obstruction (n = 3). When considering the subgroup with inner balloon rupture, the longevity of the button was 6 months (range, 1–13 months). No correlation was found between duration of gastrostomy button and underlying disease, age of the patient, or the use of antisecretory drugs.Conclusion:Although the Mic‐Key button has the advantage of an easy insertion, its major limitation is the high frequency of inner balloon rupture, which was the primary main reason for removal.