Endoscopic vs laparoscopic paediatric gastrostomies: Time to change our practice?

Comparative study of 615 pediatric gastrostomy insertions shows laparoscopic balloon gastrostomy has significantly lower emergency laparotomy rates (0.7%) versus percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (3.6%), with shorter hospital stays and equivalent operative time. Findings support shifting to laparoscopic approach as first-line technique.