Palliation of small bowel obstruction by percutaneous gastrostomy in patients with progressive ovarian carcinoma.

Percutaneous gastrostomy is a useful palliative technique for treatment of patients with bowel obstructions in advanced ovarian carcinoma. A description of the technique is presented along with a review of ten cases in which the procedure was used at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute at Houston. In all patients, the procedure was well tolerated and associated with little morbidity. In applicable cases, percutaneous gastrostomy appears to be superior to both nasogastric suction and operative gastrostomy for palliation of small bowel obstruction in terminal ovarian cancer.