Gastrostomy: Permanent and Temporary Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

If you are planning to have gastrostomy, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Infection
• Bleeding
• Aspiration—accidental sucking into the airways of fluid, food, or any foreign material
• Damage to other organs
• Anesthesia-related problems
• Skin irritation around the tube
• Dislodging or malfunction of the tube
• Diarrhea

Factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Obesity or diabetes
• Smoking, alcohol abuse , or drug use
• Use of certain prescription medicines
• Prior abdominal surgeries
• Advanced age

Be sure to discuss these risks with your doctor before the surgery.

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision site around the tube
• Problems with the tube, including if it becomes dislodged, clogged, or malfunctions (Dislodging is most common during the first two weeks that the tube is in place.)
• Leaking of feedings around the site of the tube
• Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain
• Nausea, vomiting, constipation , or abdominal swelling
• Inability to pass gas or have a bowel movement
• Severe abdominal pain

In case of emergency, CALL 911.