Importance

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Abstract

The gastrostomy tube includes an elongated flexible wire guide and an elongated sleeve having a tapered end portion, the guide and sleeve having lengths sufficient to extend from a location outside the abdominal wall of the patient through the patient's stomach and esophagus and out the patient's mouth. The gastrostomy tube has a retention device in the form of an inflatable balloon or expandable and retractable cage adjacent an end portion for retaining the tube within the patient's stomach. In use, a guide wire is introduced through an incision through the abdominal and gastric walls under endoscopic observation and pulled out the patient's mouth. The sleeve, tapered end first, is passed along the wire through the patient's mouth, esophagus and stomach, and out through the incision. After the guide wire is withdrawn from the sleeve, the gastrostomy tube is inserted over the sleeve, its feeding end located within the stomach, and the retention device is activated to retain the gastrostomy tube within the stomach.

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First Claim