A word about the G-tube

I recently did a post on weaning Ryan from his feeding tube and I wanted to add one more thing. Ryan had an NG-tube for about 18 months. He then had a G-tube for an additional 9 months. I don't know why we didn't get him a G-tube sooner. NG tubes are meant to be temporary. Not like 18 months temporary, but up for 3 or 4 months temporary. They seem easy, but they have a lot of worry and medical issues that come along with them. One is that they caught pretty easily on things and replacing them can be tricky. You can certainly learn to place one correctly, but it's also pretty easy to place one incorrectly down the patient's trachea and into the lungs.

Also, because they are just a long string, they can become dislodged with sneezing and coughing without the caregiver knowing or can coil around in the stomach or kink. That's why it's important to check placement with air and a syringe before putting any fluids down it. If you put liquids down a tube that's become displaced, you can drown the patient or, in the least, cause them to choke.

Also, with the placement of the tube in the nasal passages, inflammation and damage can and almost always does take place. This is why they are supposed to be for patients whose feeding needs are temporarily interrupted.

G-tubes are for long-term solutions. Ones where the patient will need tube nutrition for more than a few months. G-tubes have their own set of problems, but are actually more stable and safe.

I think the reason families hesitate getting a g-tube is because it seems so permanent. It makes us face the reality that the tube is going to be around for awhile. I hated that idea. But once we got it, I wondered why we waited so long. Ryan's little nose was starting to revolt having a tube down it. Toward the end, I couldn't get it down his right nostril (I think). It was too inflamed.

The biggest thing was that Ryan was able to really advance on his feeding once the tube was out of his throat. He received his g-tube in Aug. 2010 and was off day time feeds by January 2011. And then off his night time feeds the beginning of February.

If you're facing the idea of placing a g-tube for your child, take it from us, they're convenient, easy to work with, and very easy to get removed.