GJ Feeding Tube

Gastrostomy-Jejunostomy Tube Care
My child's gastrostomy-jejunostomy tube

A gastrostomy-jejunostomy tube - commonly abbreviated as "G-J tube" - is a tube that is placed into your child's stomach and small intestine. This tube is used to vent your child's stomach for air or drainage, and / or to give your child an alternate way for feeding. You will use the J-tube to feed your child.

The word "gastrostomy" comes from two Latin root words for "stomach" (gastr) and "new opening" (stomy). "Jejunostomy" is made up of the words for "jejunum" (or the second part of the small intestine) and "new opening."

The tube stays in your child's stomach because there is a balloon or a plastic bumper at the end of the tube inside the stomach. There is a plastic disc around the tube outside of the child's body. This keeps the tube from sliding in and out of the opening. This plastic disc should not slide around on the tube. The tube should be able to move in and out of the child's stomach just slightly. The plastic disc should be snug against the skin, (the space between the bottom of the disc and the stomach should be about the depth of a dime) but it should not cause pressure.

There is a small tube (the J-tube) that will go into the jejunum. There is a balloon that will sit inside the stomach that will hold the tube in place. On the end of each tube are three ports: gastric, jejunal and balloon. These are all clearly labeled and your doctor or nurse will give you further instructions for their use.