Read more of our stories at /įeeding tubes surgically implanted into the stomach are coming under growing criticism in medical care for the elderly, even as their use among the frail, terminally ill and often demented patients has become commonplace.

And the global medical technology giants. No one can point to a single culprit or clear explanation for why the medical profession continues the controversial and routine practice of surgically implanting feeding tubes in stomachs of dying, elderly patients.īut a lot of people in healthcare industry are reaping the benefit. PEG Tubes Used Appropriately Can Be Lifesaving Often Futile Procedure Remains Common

Little controversy surrounds the use of percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy (PEG) tubes in patients with long-term nutritional needs but good prospects for recovery from whatever condition has interfered with their ability to eat. For the families of ailing seniors, it is yet another medical procedure fraught with uncertainty that arouses disturbing questions and fears about life and death, often accompanied by feelings of guilt and family turmoil. Timothy Ihrig SUPPORT NON-PROFIT JOURNALISM AT IOWAWATCHįor physicians, this is routine and uncomplicated surgery. Ihrig was doing a palliative care fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center.

Timothy Ihrig with his patient and friend, the late Dyane Petri, in June 2010 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Palo Alto, Cal.

Youtube feeding tube