Veterinary Clinical Medicine-I (General and Systemic)

Pharyngostomy and esophagostomy feeding tubes

PHARYNGOSTOMY AND ESOPHAGOSTOMY FEEDING TUBE 

Pharyngostomy feeding tube

• These tubes are not routinely used.

Esophagostomy feeding tube

• Esophagostomy tubes are easy to place, and a large bore (> 12 French) feeding tube may be placed in most animals. The advantages of an esophagostomy feeding tube are that there is no interference with voluntary consumption of food, and that gruels may be used because of the size of the tube used. Furthermore, because the tube exits caudal to the oropharynx, esophagostomy tubes provide a means of bypassing the oral cavity and do not interfere with voluntary food consumption when the animal recovers. Esophagostomy tubes must be placed under heavy sedation or general anesthesia. It can be placed surgically, or by using a blind percutaneous gastrostomy feeding tube applicator such as the ELD PGFTA (Jorgenson Laboratories). In all placement methods, the tube is fixed in place with a friction suture or tape "butterfly". The tube is capped and bandaged so that the feeding port exits behind the animal's head. Many cats do not tolerate bandages that encompass their neck; therefore, I do not wrap esophagostomy tubes in cats. The ostomy site is allowed to heal by granulation and epithelialization when the tube is removed. Esophageal has not been reported to occur unless the distal tip of the tube terminates in the stomach, which may cause gastroesophageal reflux and esophagitis. They should not be used in dogs with esophageal motility disorders.