abstract
- Many patients with complete, irreversible upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract obstruction will require decompression for relief of intractable nausea and vomiting. Nasogastric (NG) tubes are associated with patient discomfort and risk. Gastrostomy tubes may not be technically feasible in a small subset of patients with advanced upper GI tract malignancy. Decompressive tube esophagostomy is an underutilized, minimally invasive alternative in such patients. We present a case report, a description of the procedure, and a review of the literature for this palliative procedure.