Gastrostomy Replacement Guide
Posted on: April 8, 2025, by : Haroon Shaukat MD
Steps to Replace:
- Read the package instructions to determine the quantity of air or saline used to inflate the balloon.
- Open the package and check the balloon.
- Prepare the skin by washing with cleanser. (This is not a sterile procedure.)
- Lubricate the end of the G-tube and insert into the stoma using gentle even pressure. The abdominal wall muscle while crying will hinder your insertion, try to place pressure during a breathe.
*Lidocaine jelly can be used to decrease the pain of insertion but there is no literature about the safety or efficacy of its use for this purpose.*
- Insert until the outside buttress is against the skin and inflate the balloon and pull back to make sure that the G-tube is secure.
** If a G-tube has been out for several hours, its stoma may have already started to close. If this occurs, a smaller G-tube can be placed and/or dilation of the stoma can also be attempted using sequential red rubber catheters or foley catheters**
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