Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube removal and replacement after “buried bumper syndrome”: the simple way

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tubes are required for an increasing number of patients with long-term nutritional requirements. “Buried bumper syndrome” (BBS) occurs in 2–6% of PEG placements. In the past, this has been a difficult problem to resolve. The authors aimed to design a safe and simple method of dealing with BBS that can be performed by any endoscopist on a routine endoscopic list with the patient under sedation.

For 6 years, the authors have used a minimally invasive way to deal with BBS. They have successfully treated 20 BBS patients on a routine endoscopy list with the patient under sedation. The existing PEG is divided 5 cm from the skin. A pair of stent-grasping forceps is inserted via the tube. A snare then is passed via the gastroscope, caught in the stent-grasping forceps, and brought out via the PEG tube. Next, the tube is split as deeply as possible into the PEG exit site, and the snare is closed around the tube. Gentle traction is applied along the endoscope, allowing the internal bumper to concertina and pop through the mucosa. Another PEG can now be placed at a separate site, although the authors have successfully used the same tract.

All the patients were followed up, with no further problems related to BBS.

The authors’ method is a simple way of addressing the difficult BBS problem. It can be used to remove and replace a PEG with a buried bumper on a routine endoscopy list with the patient under sedation.