Laparoscopic gastrostomy in patients with head and neck neoplasm. A preliminary study.

Abstract

Objective: To describe a feasible, easy, sure technique to treat patients that present carcinomas in the head and neck area at
the Hospital Oncológico Padre Machado and Instituto Médico La Floresta, Caracas. Patients and methods: This preliminary study has been conducted since 2004. The gastrostomy technique is the prescribed laparoscopic way in twenty patients that need it, because they will receive treatment with radiotherapy or chemotherapy; they will develop mucositis and they won't be able to feed appropriately or for extensive surgeries with or without reconstruction; since these patients can't consume food as usual. Results: Twenty patients; 16 males and 4 females, with a mean age of 53 years old were included in this study. The gastrostomy placement was successful in all the patients (100%). They were evaluated during the first 8 days, without deaths for the procedure. The patients presented the following complications: 5% infections, 5% hemorrhagic complications, and 15% peristomal dermatitis. The pain was tolerable, and with this surgical technique, we found no evidence of peristomal area hardening, demonstrating the absence of this sign in 100% of the cases. Conclusions: It is a feasible method of carrying out in any institution in our country, public and private institutions It is easy, economic and does not require the use of many technological advances to implement has minimum risk of complications and it can be performed by any surgeon.