A Randomized, Pilot Study Comparing Cost Effectiveness on Two Commercially Available Gastric Feeding Tubes

February 26, 2026 updated by: George Papachristou, Ohio State University

A Single-Center, Investigator-Initiated, Randomized, Pilot Study Comparing Cost Effectiveness Two Commercially Available Gastric Feeding Tubes (Capsule Dome G-Tube Versus Balloon Bolus Feeding Tube).

This document is a protocol for a human research study. This study is to be conducted according to US and international standards of Good Clinical Practice (International Conference on Harmonization ICHE6, R2), the Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 parts 803 and 812, and other applicable government regulations and Institutional research policies and procedures. The purpose of the study is to compare the cost effectiveness and tolerability of standard of care gastrostomy tubes to newer capsule dome gastrostomy tubes. The newer tubes are significantly more expensive, therefore the aims of this study will be to determine economic feasibility of going to the new model. Data are lacking on the newer g-tubes in terms of longevity and cost-effectiveness

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Gastrostomy tubes are enteral feeding devices that are designed to provide delivery of nutrients, fluids, medications directly into the stomach, bypassing the mouth and esophagus. These devices are also known as gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube (PEG tube). These are used when patients have conditions that make them unable to swallow. While parenteral (Intravenous) nutrition and nasogastric tubes are also nutritional-support methods. A variety of g-tube designs have been used in pediatric to adult populations. The insertion of a g-tube is one of the most common endoscopic procedures and is relatively safe. The OSU endoscopy lab placed 381 g-tubes in 2018.

The most common G-tube used by the OSU Endoscopy Lab is the Balloon Bolus feeding tube. In 2017 the Capsule Dome G-Tube became commercially available. The cost of the Capsule dome g-tube is twice as expensive as the standard balloon g-tube. The insertion costs would be comparable.

The need to perform a pilot comparative study of the two g-tubes is necessary to improve our physicians understanding of the potential cost-effectiveness that longer patency we could gather from the alternative device.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

7

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Ohio
      • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43212
        • Endoscopy Doan

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Signed an IRB-approved informed consent form for the study.
  2. Adults (18-75 years of age)
  3. Requirement of long term enteral tube feeding (> to 12 months) and are due for a change of their initial or prior replacement bolus Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) tube.
  4. Ability to consent for the procedure and study.
  5. Subjects must be able to communicate in english via telephone and understand the assessment checklists.
  6. Expected to survive 12 months. Exclusion Criteria

The following subjects will not be eligible for inclusion in the study:

  1. Enteral feeding is not necessary for at least 12 months,
  2. A medical condition that makes it impossible for them to communicate via telephone
  3. Subjects requiring feeding into the jejunum via a combined gastroenterostomy-jejunostomy tube
  4. Subjects who require endoscopic replacement of their current gastrostomy tube.
  5. Impaired cognition, inability to provide assessment feedback by telephone.
  6. Subjects not expected to survive > 12 months

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Capsule Dome G-Tube
Feeding replacement tubes with two different FDA approved devices in forty subjects
Active Comparator: Balloon Bolus feeding tube
Feeding replacement tubes with two different FDA approved devices in forty subjects

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Comparison of PEG tube device longevity
Time Frame: Up to twelve months
Time (metric is looking at Q3 month follow-up for one year)
Up to twelve months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Measure the cost difference of two PEG tube devices
Time Frame: Up to twelve months
Metrics evaluated using a cost-effectiveness analysis
Up to twelve months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Jeffery R Groce, MD, Ohio State University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 25, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 30, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

December 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 29, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 22, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

July 24, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 26, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • New-41476

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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