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Feeding Tube Removal

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, feeding tubes were first used in 1980 to meet the nutritional needs of patients unable to feed themselves. There are different feeding tubes used for different reasons, which are also removed in different ways. There are some things to remember when recovering from having a feeding tube removed.

  1. Reasons for Feeding Tube

    • Feeding tubes are used to feed a patient who is unable to feed themselves. This is often used after a surgery that has incapacitated some aspect of the chewing and swallowing process. Some illnesses make it difficult to chew or swallow, as well, necessitating a feeding tube. Feeding tubes may also be used to prepare a patient's body before undergoing a treatment, such as chemotherapy, which may make digestion difficult. Feeding tubes are not usually a permanent solution, and must eventually be removed.

    Types

    • There are two basic types of feeding tube, based on where the tube is inserted. Temporary feeding tubes are usually inserted through the nose, and run down the esophagus and into the stomach. More long-term feeding tubes are surgically implanted directly into the stomach. More long-term feeding tubes are easily covered by clothing and can be quite inconspicuous. Temporary feeding tubes are usually only used for short hospital stays. These different types are removed in different ways.

    Removal

    • Temporary nasal tubes are removed by being pulled back out. Long-term feeding tubes that have been surgically inserted into the stomach are usually held in place by curving the inserted end of the tube or by inflating a small balloon that has been attached to that end. Long-term feeding tubes are typically removed by cutting the tube at the blocking point. This usually causes a few inches of tubing to protrude from the stomach, which will be blocked off. In some cases, the tube may be completely removed, leaving a wound.

    Recovery

    • A short-term feeding tube removal is relatively easy to recover from. You may experience some throat and nostril pain for a few weeks, but this should pass. Recovery from a long-term feeding tube removal also should not be difficult, as the feeding tube insertion should already have been recovered from. This is because the part of the tube that is in the stomach is left in when the tube is removed. When the entire tube is removed, the wound should begin to heal right away. Some stitches may be required to the stomach and the skin.

    Considerations

    • If you notice any unusual discharge at the removal sight, contact your doctor immediately. Also, if you had a short-term feeding tube inserted and your nose and/or throat feel raw and painful after a week has passed, talk to your doctor to determine if damage was done by the feeding tube.

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