Rigid inflatable gastrostomy tube malposition

Abstract

Rigid inflatable gastrostomy (RIG) tubes are widely used in contemporary clinical practice for a variety of indications. Insertion of RIG tubes is associated with a high technical success rate and low incidence of mortality. In this case report, a procedural pitfall associated with intraperitoneal-extragastric malposition is described. Rigorous assessment of abdominal radiographs, as well as awareness of the expected appearance of the RIG tube and gastropexy T-fasteners, allows the abdominal radiologist to detect early RIG position in the early postprocedural period. Abdominal radiography is a widely available and inexpensive technique. The high spatial resolution it provides makes it a valuable tool in determining hardware position.

Keywords

• Gastrostomy
• Interventional Radiology
• Malposition