Buket Daldaban SARIÇA
The Journal of Pediatric Academy - 2026;7(3):102-108
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a widely used method for long-term enteral nutrition in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and characteristics of complications and the potential factors associated with them in pediatric patients who underwent PEG. The present retrospective cohort study enrolled 46 pediatric patients who underwent PEG between February 2023 and January 2026. Patients were grouped according to whether they developed complications. Clinical, demographic, and anthropometric data, as well as procedure characteristics, were compared. Early (<=30 days) and late (>30 days) complications were analyzed separately. Factors related to post-procedural complications were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Moreover, time to development of complications was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Early complications were observed in 10.9% of cases, whereas late complications were detected in 39.1% of cases. The predominant early-onset complication was leakage (8.7%), and the most common late-onset complication was peristomal skin complication (21.7%). The vast majority of complications were minor (97.8%). No significant differences were found between the groups with and without complications in terms of demographic, clinical, and anthropometric variables (all p>0.05). The follow-up duration was found to be longer in the complication group (p=0.016). In the logistic regression analysis, no variable was identified as an independent predictor. The number of comorbidities and the tube diameter showed a nonsignificant trend toward an association with the development of complications. In the survival analysis, no significant difference was found between the groups regarding the time to onset of complications (p=0.898). Although complications are common in pediatric patients undergoing PEG placement, they are mostly minor in nature. Clinical, anthropometric, and procedural variables appear to have limited predictive value for the development of complications. These results emphasize the importance of monitoring after PEG placement.
