Push versus pull gastrostomy in cancer patients: A single center retrospective analysis of complications and technical success rates.

PURPOSE: To compare the technical success and complication rates of push versus pull gastrostomy tubes in cancer patients, and to examine their dependence on operator experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of 304 cancer patients (170 men, 134 women; mean age 60.3±12.6 [SD], range: 19-102 years) referred for primary gastrostomy tube placement, 88 (29%) of whom had a previously unsuccessful attempt at percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement. Analyzed variables included method of insertion (push versus pull), indication for gastrostomy, technical success, operator experience, and procedure-related complications within 30 days of placement. RESULTS: Gastrostomy tubes were placed for feeding in 189 patients and palliative decompression in 115 patients. Technical success was 91%: 78% after endoscopy had previously been unsuccessful and 97% when excluding failures associated with prior endoscopy. In the first 30 days, there were 29 minor complications (17.2%) associated with push gastrostomies, and only 8 minor complications (7.5%) with pull gastrostomies (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in major complications (push gastrostomy 5.3%, pull gastrostomy 5.6%). For decompressive gastrostomy tubes, the pull technique resulted in lower rates of both minor and major complications. There was no difference in complications or technical success rates for more versus less experienced operators. CONCLUSION: Pull gastrostomy tube placement had a lower rate of complications than push gastrostomy tube placement, especially when the indication was decompression. The technical success rate was high, even after a failed attempt at endoscopic placement. Both the rates of success and complications were independent of operator experience.

Comparison of CT Fluoroscopy-Guided Manual and CT-Guided Robotic Positioning System for In Vivo Needle Placements in Swine Liver.

PURPOSE: To compare CT fluoroscopy-guided manual and CT-guided robotic positioning system (RPS)-assisted needle placement by experienced IR physicians to targets in swine liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Manual and RPS-assisted needle placement was performed by six experienced IR physicians to four 5 mm fiducial seeds placed in swine liver (n = 6). Placement performance was assessed for placement accuracy, procedure time, number of confirmatory scans, needle manipulations, and procedure radiation dose. Intra-modality difference in performance for each physician was assessed using paired t test. Inter-physician performance variation for each modality was analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Paired comparison of manual and RPS-assisted placements to a target by the same physician indicated accuracy outcomes was not statistically different (manual: 4.53 mm; RPS: 4.66 mm; p = 0.41), but manual placement resulted in higher total radiation dose (manual: 1075.77 mGy/cm; RPS: 636.4 mGy/cm; p = 0.03), required more confirmation scans (manual: 6.6; RPS: 1.6; p < 0.0001) and needle manipulations (manual: 4.6; RPS: 0.4; p < 0.0001). Procedure time for RPS was longer than manual placement (manual: 6.12 min; RPS: 9.7 min; p = 0.0003). Comparison of inter-physician performance during manual placement indicated significant differences in the time taken to complete placements (p = 0.008) and number of repositions (p = 0.04) but not in other study measures (p > 0.05). Comparison of inter-physician performance during RPS-assisted placement suggested statistically significant differences in procedure time (p = 0.02) and not in other study measures (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CT-guided RPS-assisted needle placement reduced radiation dose, number of confirmatory scans, and needle manipulations when compared to manual needle placement by experienced IR physicians, with equivalent accuracy.

Performance of intra-procedural 18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT-guided biopsies for lesions suspected of malignancy but poorly visualized with other modalities.

PURPOSE: We sought to evaluate the safety and the diagnostic success rate of percutaneous biopsies performed under intra-procedural (18)F-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) guidance for lesions difficult to see with conventional cross-sectional imaging. METHODS: From 2011 to 2013, consecutive clinically indicated percutaneous PET/CT-guided biopsies of 106 masses (mean size, 3.3 cm; range, 0.7-15.9 cm; SD, 2.9 cm) in bones (n = 33), liver (n = 26), soft tissues (n = 18), lung (n = 15) and abdomen (n = 14) were reviewed. The biopsy procedures were performed following injection of a mean of 255 MBq (SD, 74) FDG. Mean maximal standardized uptake value (SUV) of lesions was 8.8 (SD, 6.3). A systematic review of the histopathological results and outcomes was performed. RESULTS: Biopsies were positive for malignancy in 76 cases (71.7%, 76/106) and for benign tissue in 30 cases (28.3%, 30/106). Immediate results were considered adequate for 100 PET/CT biopsies (94.3%, 100/106) requiring no further exploration, and for the six others (5.7%, 6/106) benign diagnoses were confirmed after surgery (n = 4) or follow-up (n = 2). The consequent overall sensitivity and the diagnostic success of biopsy were therefore 100%. No significant differences in terms of detection of malignancy were observed between the different locations. Lesions > 2 cm or with SUV > 4 were not significantly more likely to be malignant. Complications occurred after four biopsies (3.7%, 4/106). CONCLUSION: Intra-procedural PET/CT guidance appears as a safe and effective method and allows high diagnostic success of percutaneous biopsies for metabolically active lesions.

A study of porcine liver motion during respiration for improving targeting in image-guided needle placements.

PURPOSE: Liver motion due to respiration restricts targeting and needle placement accuracy during image-guided interventional procedures. Breath holds, imaging techniques, and navigation systems are used to improve targeting accuracy. Data of in-vivo liver behavior under respiration can enhance these approaches. METHODS: An experimental study was performed using the swine model to capture the dynamics of liver motion during respiration using needles tipped with electromagnetic sensors. The swine liver was segmented into four lobes (right lateral, right medial, left medial and left lateral), and two sensor-tipped needles were placed in each location to acquire representative displacement data. RESULTS: Maximum displacement was found to occur in the left medial and left lateral lobes, in the anterior-posterior direction. Significant lobe-dependent variation in motion behavior was recorded, but a variation within a lobe was minimal and independent of needle approach. Magnitude of displacement in all lobes was found to be monotonically correlated to breathing volume. Displacement of liver was found to be out of phase with breathing by approximately 2 Hz. The positioning of the animal was also found to influence direction and magnitude of liver displacement in different lobes. CONCLUSIONS: We have presented previously unavailable data and insight into the role of easily controllable parameters such as breathing volume, patient positioning, and lobe-specific heterogeneity in the displacement of liver due to respiration.