Stamm Gastrostomy for Postoperative Gastric Decompression in Gynecologic Oncology Patients

Objective. The aim of this study was to report our experience with Stamm gastrostomy for postoperative gastric decompression on a gynecologic oncology service. Methods. This was an observational study over the 9-year period ending in October 2000. A 24 French MIC gastrostomy with the Stamm technique was used. Criteria for a gastrostomy are outlined in the text and tubes placed for palliation were excluded. Patients were followed to determine length of open drainage, time to removal, related complications, and those who may have benefited. Results. A total of 167 patients had 174 nonpalliative gastrostomy tubes placed. Nine percent of the patients had related complications with a major complication rate of 2%. Overall, approximately one-third of the patients appeared to benefit from the gastrostomy tube. Conclusion. The results support the safety and efficacy of the MIC gastric tube in patients undergoing extensive gynecologic cancer surgery which is likely to impact the function of the gastrointestinal tract.