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Removing a feeding tube: how it is done | CION Cancer Clinics
Most feeding tubes are removed in a short procedure, often in clinic or at the bedside, without an operation. How it is done depends on the tube. Balloon tubes are deflated and slide out. Some PEG tubes are pulled out with firm traction. Others have a firm inner disc and need a short endoscopy. The opening usually closes by itself over the following days under a simple dressing. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- How is a feeding tube taken out?
- What should be settled before the tube comes out?
- How is each kind of tube removed?
- What happens on the day of removal?
- What do people fear about tube removal that is not true?
- What do the words about removal mean?
- What happens after removal, and when should you call?
- Common questions about PEG tube removal
The short answer
How is a feeding tube taken out?
Most feeding tubes come out in a short procedure, often in clinic or at the bedside, without an operation. The method depends on what holds the tube inside your stomach.
Why the type of tube decides the method
Every gastrostomy tube has something on its inner end that stops it sliding out. It may be a water-filled balloon, a soft bumper that folds, or a firm disc that does not. Your discharge summary names the tube, and the team checks the records before choosing how to remove it.
When removal is usually considered
The team usually suggests removal once you have eaten enough by mouth to hold your weight without tube feeds for a while, and no treatment ahead is likely to make eating hard again. The decision belongs to your treating team, who can see the whole picture.
When it may be too early
If more radiotherapy or chemotherapy is planned, if your weight is still unsteady, or if swallowing has not been confirmed safe, the team may suggest keeping the tube a little longer. Ask what they are waiting for.
Never cut, pull or deflate a tube at home to remove it. Part of it can be left inside.Before the day
What should be settled before the tube comes out?
Ask the team
Why it matters
Has my weight held without tube feeds?
It shows eating by mouth is enough on its own
Is any more treatment still ahead?
Treatment to come may make the tube useful again
What holds my tube in, and how will it come out?
It decides between a clinic removal and an endoscopy
Do my blood-thinning medicines need a plan?
Your doctors set any change in timing, so never stop one yourself
Do I need to fast or bring someone?
An endoscopy needs an empty stomach and someone to take you home
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistBy type of tube
How is each kind of tube removed?
These are the usual methods. Your team will tell you which one applies to your tube.
Balloon tube or button
The water in the balloon is drawn out with a syringe, and the tube slides out through the opening. It takes moments and is often done in clinic or at home by a nurse.
PEG with a soft inner bumper
Some PEG tubes are made to be pulled out. The clinician steadies the skin and pulls firmly, the bumper folds, and the tube comes through. There is a brief, sharp moment of discomfort.
PEG with a firm inner disc
This needs an endoscopy, a thin camera passed down the throat, usually with sedation. The tube is cut at the skin and the disc is taken out through the mouth.
Usually needs
- An empty stomach beforehand
- An adult to take you home
Tube placed under X-ray
These are often held by a balloon or a curled inner end. They are usually removed by deflating the balloon or straightening the curl, depending on the design.
On the day
What happens on the day of removal?
Before you come
Bring the discharge summary and your medicines list. If an endoscopy is planned, follow the fasting and medicine instructions you were given exactly.
The removal
You lie on a couch or bed. The team explains each step before doing it. Pain relief or sedation is offered where the method needs it.
The dressing
A clean gauze dressing goes over the opening. A little fluid often leaks at first, so you are shown how to change it and keep the skin dry.
Going home
Most people go home the same day. You are told when to start eating and drinking, and what signs to watch for over the next few days.
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Commonly believed
What do people fear about tube removal that is not true?
"Taking the tube out means another operation."
For most tubes it does not. A balloon or soft-bumper tube comes out in clinic. Even an endoscopy for a firm disc is a short day procedure, not an open operation.
"The hole will need stitches."
The opening usually closes by itself under a simple dressing. Rarely it stays open and keeps leaking, and then the team has ways to close it.
"If he needs it again, it can just go back in."
The opening closes quickly once the tube is out. A new tube later would mean a fresh placement. That is why the team waits until it is fairly sure the tube will not be needed.
"Cutting the tube at home saves a hospital trip."
The inner disc or bumper can stay inside and cause a blockage in the bowel. Removal is always done or supervised by the team.
Words you may hear
What do the words about removal mean?
- Traction removal
- Pulling the tube out firmly through the skin, used for tubes with a soft, folding bumper.
- Endoscopic removal
- Taking the inner part out through the mouth using a thin camera passed down the throat.
- Deflating the balloon
- Drawing the water out of a balloon tube so it can slide out.
- Stoma closure
- The opening in the skin healing over after the tube is out.
- Persistent fistula
- An opening that does not close and keeps leaking stomach fluid. It is uncommon and can be treated.
Afterwards
What happens after removal, and when should you call?
The opening usually narrows within a day or so and heals over the following days. Some stomach fluid may leak at first, especially after eating. Keep gauze over it and change it when damp.
Looking after the site
Keep the skin clean and dry. A barrier cream may be suggested if leakage makes the skin sore. After an endoscopy, your throat may feel scratchy for a day, and you should not drive until the sedation has fully worn off.
When to call the team
Call if leakage does not settle, or if there is fever, spreading redness, pus, belly pain, vomiting or bleeding that soaks the dressing. Call too if weight starts to fall once the tube is out.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which method suits your tube or when yours should come out. Only your team, with your records in front of them, can answer that.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about PEG tube removal
Does PEG tube removal hurt?
It depends on the method. Taking out a balloon tube causes little more than a tug. Pulling a soft-bumper tube gives a short, sharp moment of discomfort. An endoscopic removal is done with sedation. Ask about pain relief beforehand if you are anxious.
How long does the hole take to close?
It starts closing within hours and usually narrows a lot within a day or so. Full healing takes longer, often some days to a few weeks. Leakage should lessen steadily. If it keeps going, or the skin becomes red and sore, call the team.
When can I eat after the tube comes out?
Often soon after a clinic removal. After an endoscopy, wait until the numbness in your throat and the sedation have worn off. The team will give you a time. Eating may cause a little more leakage at first, which is expected.
Will I need to stay in hospital?
Usually not. A clinic removal takes minutes and you go home the same day. An endoscopic removal is normally a day procedure, although you will need to rest until the sedation wears off and have an adult take you home.
Can a nurse take the tube out at home?
Some balloon tubes can be removed at home by a trained nurse, if your team agrees. Tubes with a disc or bumper are removed in hospital. Family members should never remove a tube themselves, even one that looks loose.
What if my weight falls after removal?
Call the dietitian early. Nutrition drinks, richer foods and smaller, more frequent meals often help. A new tube is needed only rarely, but it is easier to act on a slow fall than to wait until strength has gone.
Should blood thinners be stopped before removal?
Tell the team if you take aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin or any other blood thinner. Whether anything changes, and when, is decided by your doctors for the method planned. Do not stop or change any medicine on your own.
Is removal covered by Aarogyasri or insurance?
Often, when it is part of cancer treatment. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS are accepted, and most cashless insurers are empanelled. Cover for an endoscopic removal can differ from a clinic removal, so call the helpline with your card details and we will check.
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Sources
- NHS — Gastroscopy
- National Cancer Institute — Nutrition in Cancer Care (PDQ) - Patient Version
- NICE — Nutrition support for adults (CG32)
- Cancer Research UK — Diet problems with cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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