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A small, flexible, hollow tube (catheter) with a balloon or flared tip is inserted into the stomach. The stomach is stitched closed around the tube and the incision is closed.
Review Date 4/11/2026
Updated by: Ann M. Rogers, MD, FACS, Professor Emeritus, Department of Surgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.