Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

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

• PEG tube malfunction
• Aspiration—accidental sucking into the airways of fluid, food, or any foreign material
• Damage to other organs
• Inflammation of the lining of the abdomen
• Infection
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Irritation of skin near the tube
• Death

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

Call Your Doctor

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

• Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given
• Problems with the function of the tube or drainage around the tube
• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision site
• Headaches, muscle aches, dizziness, or general ill feeling
• Nausea, vomiting, constipation , or abdominal swelling

In case of emergency, call 911.