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Gastrostomy: what a feeding tube into the stomach is | CION Cancer Clinics
A gastrostomy is a small opening through the skin of the belly into the stomach, with a soft tube in it. Food, water and medicines go down the tube when swallowing is not possible or not safe, most often during treatment for cancers of the mouth, throat or food pipe. This page explains what it is, the kinds you will hear about, and how it is used at home. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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The short answer
What is a gastrostomy, in plain words?
A gastrostomy is a small opening made through the skin of the belly straight into the stomach, with a soft tube sitting in it. Food, water and medicines go down the tube, so the person can be fed even when swallowing is not possible or not safe.
Why it is used in cancer care
Some cancers sit in the mouth, throat or food pipe, and some treatments to those areas make swallowing very sore for weeks. If a person cannot take in enough food, they lose weight and strength at exactly the time the body needs both. The tube is a way of keeping the person fed while treatment carries on. It does not treat the cancer itself. It supports the person having the treatment.
What it looks like on the body
From the outside you see a short length of soft tube coming out of the upper belly, held in place by a flat disc or a small balloon on the inside. It is capped when not in use and tucks under a loose shirt. Most people are surprised how small it is.
You may also hear the words PEG tube, RIG tube or simply "the feeding tube". They all describe the same thing, put in by slightly different methods.The kinds you will hear about
Which kinds of feeding tube are there?
The name usually describes how the tube was put in, not how it is used afterwards. Day to day, they all work much the same way.
PEG tube
Placed with the help of a thin camera passed down the throat into the stomach. The camera shows the doctor where to make the opening from the inside. This is the commonest kind and is usually done under sedation, not a full anaesthetic.
RIG tube
Placed by a radiologist using X-ray pictures instead of a camera. Useful when a tumour in the throat or food pipe makes it hard to pass the camera safely.
Often chosen when
- The throat is narrowed by the cancer
- Sedation for a camera test is risky
Surgical gastrostomy
Made by a surgeon through a cut in the belly, either open or by keyhole. Today it is mostly done when the person is already having an operation for another reason, or when the other two methods are not possible.
Nasogastric tube
Not a gastrostomy, but often confused with one. A thin tube passed through the nose down into the stomach. It needs no opening in the skin and suits short periods of feeding. For anything longer, a gastrostomy is usually more comfortable.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistDay to day
How does feeding through the tube actually work?
The feed
Either a ready-made liquid feed from a tin or carton, or home food blended very smooth and sieved. Your dietitian works out how much is needed each day and writes it down for you.
Getting it in
The feed is drawn into a large syringe and pushed slowly through the tube, or hung in a bag and allowed to run in by gravity, or run by a small pump. Most families at home use the syringe method.
Flushing
A syringe of plain water is pushed through before and after every feed and every medicine. This is the single habit that stops the tube blocking, and it also counts towards the day's fluid.
Sitting up
The person sits upright during the feed and stays sitting for a while afterwards, so the feed settles in the stomach rather than coming back up. Lying flat straight after a feed is the thing to avoid.
On your discharge sheet
Words you will see, in plain language
- Stoma
- The opening in the skin where the tube comes out. Nurses will talk about "the stoma site" when they mean the skin around the tube.
- Bumper or flange
- The flat disc on the inside of the stomach, or the outside of the skin, that keeps the tube from slipping in or out.
- Balloon tube
- A type held in place by a small water-filled balloon inside the stomach. The balloon is checked and topped up with water at home on a schedule the nurse gives you.
- Bolus feed
- A feed given all at once with a syringe, the way a meal would be, rather than a slow drip.
- Aspiration
- Feed or saliva going down the windpipe into the lungs instead of the stomach. It is the main reason a person is asked to sit up during and after feeds.
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Commonly believed
Four things families tell us, and what is actually true
"A feeding tube means the doctors have given up."
In cancer care it usually means the opposite. The tube is most often put in so that a person can get through a full course of radiotherapy or a big operation without losing so much weight that treatment has to stop. It supports treatment; it does not end it.
"Once it is in, it stays for life."
Many tubes come out again once swallowing recovers. How long it stays depends on why it was put in. Some people need it for the weeks around treatment; some need it much longer. Your team should be able to tell you which group you are likely to be in.
"You can never eat by mouth again."
If your speech and swallowing therapist says swallowing is safe, you can eat and drink alongside the tube. Many people use the tube to top up what they manage by mouth. Keeping the swallow working is actually part of the plan.
"Only hospital feed can go through it."
Blended home food can go through a gastrostomy tube if it is prepared smooth enough and the dietitian has checked that it meets the day's needs. Ready-made feeds are simpler and more predictable, but they are not the only option.
Did you know
The tube does not stop you talking, bathing or going out. Once the site has healed, most people shower normally and keep the tube capped under clothing.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
This page cannot tell you whether you or your parent should have a feeding tube. That depends on the cancer, the treatment planned, current weight and swallowing, and what the person themselves wants. It is a decision for the treating team, made with you.
Who a gastrostomy does not suit
It is not the right choice for everyone. Where feeding is only needed for a short spell, a nose tube may do the job without any opening in the skin. Where the stomach itself is diseased, has been removed, or cannot be reached safely, the team may suggest a tube into the small bowel instead. And when a person is very unwell and near the end of life, tube feeding does not always help, and the conversation about it should be gentle, honest and led by what the person would want.
What to ask at the appointment
Ask why the tube is being suggested now rather than later, which method is planned and why, how long the team expects it to stay, who will teach the family to use it, and who to call when something goes wrong at home. Write the answers down. Bring the person who will do the feeding.
If you already have a report or a letter recommending a gastrostomy and do not understand it, call the helpline. Someone will talk it through with you.Questions we are asked
Common questions about gastrostomy tubes
Is a gastrostomy the same as a PEG?
A PEG is one kind of gastrostomy. Gastrostomy is the opening into the stomach; PEG describes putting it in with the help of a camera passed down the throat. A RIG is the same opening made with X-ray guidance instead. Once in place, the tubes are looked after the same way at home.
Does having the tube hurt?
The site is sore for the first days after it is placed, much like a small wound, and this settles as it heals. After that, most people do not feel the tube at all. Ongoing pain, redness that spreads, or leaking around the tube are not normal and should be reported to the team rather than put up with.
Can my father still eat normal food with it?
Often yes, if his swallowing is safe. The tube does not block the throat or the stomach. A speech and swallowing therapist will check whether food by mouth is safe and which textures are safe. Many people eat a little for pleasure and use the tube for the bulk of their nutrition.
Can he bathe and go out?
Yes. Once the site has healed, showering is fine and the skin is simply dried afterwards. Swimming and long soaks are usually avoided until the team says otherwise. Going out, travelling by car or bus, and going back to light work are all possible with the tube capped and tucked under clothing.
Who will teach us to use it at home?
Before discharge the nurse and dietitian should show the family member who will do the feeding how to flush, feed, give medicines and clean the site, and watch them do it at least once. Ask for a written sheet and a phone number. If you leave without either, call and ask for them.
Will it show through clothes?
Under a loose shirt or kurta it is not visible. The tube is capped and can be taped flat against the belly or tucked into the waistband. Some people prefer a low-profile "button" version that sits almost flush with the skin, which can be discussed with the team once the site has healed.
What if the tube blocks or comes out?
A block is usually cleared with warm water and patience, and regular flushing prevents most of them. If the tube comes out altogether, the opening can start closing within hours, so cover it with a clean dressing and contact the team the same day. Do not try to push it back in yourself unless you have been taught to.
Is it covered by Aarogyasri or insurance?
Placement as part of an approved cancer treatment plan is often covered. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS are accepted at CION, and most cashless insurers are empanelled. The feed and supplies used at home afterwards are a separate cost and cover varies, so ask about both before the tube is placed.
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Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Diet problems with cancer
- National Cancer Institute — Nutrition in Cancer Care (PDQ) - Patient Version
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Impacts of cancer: eating and drinking
- NICE — Nutrition support for adults (CG32)
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.
Keep reading
Related pages
PEG vs RIG vs surgical gastrostomyHow the three placement methods differ and which is chosen whenWho needs a feeding tube during cancer treatmentThe situations where a tube is usually suggestedHaving a feeding tube placed: what happensThe day itself, from fasting to going homeFeeding through the tube at homeThe routine the family will followDrains, tubes, lines and cathetersThe other tubes you may meet after cancer surgery
Talk to us
Been told a feeding tube is needed?
Send us the letter or call the helpline. A surgical oncologist will explain why it has been suggested, which method is planned, and what the family will need to do at home.