Your feeding tube is important. It provides the food that your body needs. We hope that the information on this website and the websites listed on the support and resources page will make using a feeding tube easier for you. This website provides information on how to use and care for your Cook Medical feeding tube. This website provides only general information, so you will still need to follow your doctor’s advice.
We have included a glossary on this website to help you understand certain words.
A feeding tube carries food and medication from outside your body to your stomach, where it can be digested and absorbed.
Feeding tubes give you the nutrition you need during times when you’re unable to eat or swallow. In some instances, you may be able to eat or swallow, but are still unable to receive enough nutrition the usual way. A feeding tube can help supplement your nutritional needs in this case. Your doctor will discuss with you the need for a short- or long-term feeding tube given your medical conditions.
A gastrostomy tube is a feeding tube that is placed into your stomach by your doctor. Gastrostomy tubes are often called “G-tubes.”
Entuit® Gastrostomy BR Balloon Retention Feeding Tube
A balloon retention gastrostomy tube uses a balloon filled with water to hold your feeding tube inside your stomach. The balloon prevents your feeding tube from sliding out of place.
To place your Cook feeding tube, your doctor puts a tube into your stomach. Then the doctor puts air into the tube to inflate your stomach in order to more easily reach your stomach from outside your body.
The doctor then makes a small hole through your abdomen. This hole, which leads to your stomach, is called a stoma. The doctor places the feeding tube through the stoma and inflates the balloon at the end of the feeding tube. The inflated balloon helps keep your feeding tube in place.
Watch this video to understand what happens during initial placement of the Entuit Gastrostomy BR Balloon Retention feeding tube.
Your doctor will probably replace your Cook feeding tube regularly to make sure that it continues to work correctly. Replacing a feeding tube is often easier than placing it for the first time. Your doctor will follow these steps to replace your tube: