Bontems P.: Capsule endoscopy in children

An old friend today – scratch that, a familiar friend – familiar to those who have followed these podcasts since their inception :  Welcome to the studio from Brussels, Dr Patrick Bontems, head of “interventional paediatrics” at Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola !  This is his second appearance as an ESPGHAN guest, and we’re delighted to have him back to speak on aspects of percutaneous gastrostomy or duodenojejunostomy selection, placement, and management.  He asks us to consider :  When is gastrostomy or duodenojejunostomy indicated ?  What can make such a procedure better accepted by referring doctors and by families ?  Who should place these devices, the endoscopist or surgeon ?  He touches on the unexpectedly high rate of medium- to longer-term complications, mostly sepsis-related, that a review identified ; he states that co-ordinated work between endoscopists and surgeons, a six-hands approach, has proven itself the route to take ; and he caps off his talk with a reminder of how careful one must be in helping not only family members but also some caregivers accept that feeding-tube placement is the correct choice for a particular child at a particular time.

Literature :

J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2021 Sep 1 73(3):415-426.  doi: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000003207.  Homan M et al.  Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in children:  An update to the ESPGHAN position paper.  PMID:  34155150.  

Tazi K et al.  Complications of percutaneous and surgical gastrostomy placements in children:  A single-centre series.  JPGN Rep 2023 May 9 4(2):e316.  doi: 10.1097/PG9.0000000000000316.  eCollection 2023 May.  PMID:  37200716.  PMCID:  PMC10187850.      

Dr. Bontem´s favourite song: To win the world - Peggy https://open.spotify.com/track/4B8x7E6BRMdXIw94w8PKwq?si=9a53caba74654bd3

ESPGHAN favourite Songs can be found on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0YIHKjxITLEm9XNyHyypTo