Endoscopic vs Laparoscopic Paediatric Gastrostomies: Time to Change our Practice?

Comparative study of 615 pediatric gastrostomy insertions demonstrates that laparoscopic balloon gastrostomy has significantly lower emergency laparotomy rates (0.7%) compared to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (3.6%), with similar operative time but reduced length of stay. Evidence supports shifting to laparoscopic approach as first-line technique for pediatric gastrostomy insertion.