Percutaneous cervical pharyngostomy. A comfortable and convenient alternative to protracted nasogastric intubation.

For patients who require lengthy periods of enteral nutrition or gastrointestinal decompression, the use of a tube placed through a cervical pharyngostomy provides a convenient means of access to the upper gastrointestinal tract. The discomfort and complications of nasogastric intubation can be avoided, and the use of parenteral nutrition can be reduced in many cases where the gastrointestinal tract is functioning but the patient is unable to ingest food normally. The result of this technique in 42 patients over a 4 year period have been described herein. The patients found the method comfortable, cosmetically acceptable, and easily managed both in the hospital and at home. The technique of inserting the tube through the pyriform sinus is easy and safe to perform, and there have been no major complications in using the technique for periods up to 119 days. If accidentally displaced, the tube is easily reinserted through the neck without special equipment and with no discomfort. The method can provide a considerable improvement in the effectiveness of overall patient management. We suggest it could be more widely used in general surgical practice.