Balloon gastrostomy feeding tube replacement: Involving local health-care facilities or general practitioner would reduce costs

Abstract

Rationale: In France, the balloon gastrostomy feeding tube (BGT) replacement is a medical act, mainly performed in specialized care facilities (CF), which remain rare. However, this can legally take place in a local CF or by the general practitioner (GP), which could reduce transport costs. The objectives were i) to describe the BGT replacement activity performed in a specialized Nutrition Unit, including transport costs, ii) to estimate these costs if the act had been carried out in local CF or at home by the GP.