First PEG tube successfully placed at Sanjeevani Hospital in Nepalgunj

By Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Mar. 25: Sanjeevani Hospital in Nepalgunj has successfully placed a Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) tube for the first time outside Kathmandu.

According to the hospital, the procedure was carried out under the leadership of interventional radiologist Dr. Ritesh Kumar Kanodia, marking the first such case outside the Kathmandu Valley.

Dr. Kanodia said the PEG tube was successfully inserted in a 30-year-old man from Bardiya. “To my knowledge, this is the first case of PEG tube placement in a patient outside Kathmandu,” he said.

Medical Superintendent Dr. Roman Kidwai said the achievement demonstrates that advanced medical procedures, once considered limited to the capital, are now becoming available in Nepalgunj.

The hospital said the patient had been admitted last Thursday with Wallenberg syndrome (a rare neurological condition caused by a stroke in the brainstem). The PEG tube was inserted carefully over the course of about an hour in the cath lab using X-ray guidance.

According to Dr. Kanodia, the patient had been working abroad when he fell ill. Initially diagnosed with pneumonia, he later suffered a stroke during treatment, which worsened his condition and left him unable to eat.

At first, a nasogastric tube was used to provide nutrition and sustain him. However, as this is not suitable for long-term use, doctors decided to insert a PEG tube as a more permanent solution.

Following the procedure, the patient has been able to receive nutrition more easily, and improvements have been observed in his overall quality of life, Dr. Kanodia said.

Dr. Kidwai added that under its new management, the hospital has been expanding specialised services and introducing advanced technologies, along with strengthening its team of expert doctors.

He also said the hospital has established a dedicated stroke centre, providing round-the-clock services with neurosurgeons, which has played a crucial role in delivering timely and effective treatment for critical patients.