Enteral feeding via jejunostomy as a cause of intestinal perforation and necrosis

Jejunostomy for enteral feeding is excellent for patients who cannot manage oral intake, with a low complication rate. A Foley catheter, Ryle tube, Kerh tube or needle-catheter (Jejuno-Cath®) are commonly used. It is a safe procedure but it can lead to severe complications. We present two cases: firstly, an 80 year old male who was admitted to the Emergency Room with a bowel perforation secondary to Jejuno-Cath® for enteral feeding after a subtotal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction; and secondly, a 53 year old male who was admitted to the Emergency Room due to gastric perforation developing multiple complications, including bowel necrosis and enteral feeding impaction. We have reviewed the recent literature with regard to this rare complication.