The Effect of Gastrostomy Placement on Gastric Function in Children: a Prospective Cohort Study

Background A gastrostomy placement is frequently performed in pediatric patients who require long-term enteral tube feeding. Unfortunately, postoperative complications such as leakage, feeding intolerance, and gastroesophageal reflux frequently occur. These complications may be due to postoperative gastric dysmotility. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of gastrostomy placement on gastric emptying in children. Methods A prospective study was performed including 50 children undergoing laparoscopic gastrostomy. Before and 3 months after gastrostomy, assessment was performed using the 13 C-octanoic acid breath test, 24-h pH monitoring, and reflux symptom questionnaires. Results Gastric half-emptying time significantly increased from the 57th to the 79th percentile ( p