What to Expect During Hospital Stay for G tube Placement and After Discharge 

Important information: 

• These instructions are for patients who have had a G tube (gastrostomy tube) placed by General Surgery. Most children are admitted to an inpatient hospital unit to recover after surgery. The surgeon who placed your child’s G tube, along with other members of the surgery team, will be involved in your child’s care after surgery.

• Although it is likely that your child will only need to stay in the hospital for 1 night, we recommend preparing to stay for up to 3 nights.

• Immediately after placement, the G tube will be connected to extension tubing. This tubing will either be clamped or left to gravity drainage. Gravity drainage allows the stomach contents to drain into a diaper that is secured around the open end of the extension tubing.

• After we give medicines through the G tube, we will clamp it closed for 30 minutes. This allows the body to absorb the medicine before we restart the gravity drainage.

Instructions after G tube placement:

Feeding after surgery

If your child was already getting tube feedings (like through a nasogastric tube (NG tube):

• If your child tolerated the feedings well, they may follow our “fast-track” feeding plan. This means that we will start feeds through the G tube a few hours after surgery.

• Most children on this plan go home the next day, depending on how well they handle feeds and other factors

If your child is new to tube feedings, has a a new feeding plan, or had a Nissen fundoplication:

• We probably will not give them anything by mouth or G tube right after surgery.

• Feeds will begin slowly on the day after surgery.

• For example, we may give your child 1/3 of their feeding volume and increase by 1/3 each day after until we reach the full volume. This helps your child's stomach and intestines adjust gradually.

If your child was taking food by mouth before surgery, they will probably be able to resume feedings on the day of surgery.

Staying comfortable after surgery

• After surgery we will monitor your child’s pain and control it with a combination of IV and enteral (through the stomach) medicines.

• We usually give IV pain medicines in the first 24 hours after surgery so we can relieve pain immediately and prevent it from becoming severe.

• Once your child starts their tube feedings, we will give their pain medicines through their mouth or G tube. At the time of discharge, most children need only acetaminophen (Tylenol®) and ibuprofen (Motrin®) for their pain. 

Learning to care for the G tube

• We will teach you how to care for your child’s G tube.

• You may attend a class in our Family Learning Center or you may be taught by your child’s nurse at the bedside.

• The nurses caring for your child will also support you in caring for your child’s G tube care at the bedside so that you are comfortable doing the care at home.

• If your child’s feedings are given with a pump, we will teach you how to use that as well.

Your child is ready for discharge when:

• They tolerate their feedings.

• Their pain is well controlled with over-the-counter pain medicines.

• You have completed your required education.

• We have set up a homecare company to deliver your supplies.

After discharge from the hospital

Your child will have their postoperative visit with their surgeon about 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. At this visit, your child will be seen by a Nurse Practitioner and the surgeon who placed the G tube. The Nurse Practitioner will perform the first G tube change. If you feel that your child would benefit from support by one of our Child Life Specialists for the G tube change, please request this service when you schedule your visit.

After the first G tube change, you, or other caregivers, can change the G tube if it comes out accidently or is due for a routine change.

We recommend changing the G tube every 3 to 6 months. You can refer to our “Living with a G tube” video series to review how to change the G tube.

Contact General Surgery 215-590-2730 with questions or concerns.

Reviewed May 2025 by Lauren Agzigian, CRNP