Buried bumper syndrome (BBS) is a rare adverse event of PEG tubes. This study compared the newly developed Flamingo device (Fujifilm Medwork GmbH, Höchstadt, Germany) with conventional endoscopic techniques for BBS treatment.

This prospective, randomized controlled trial compared the Flamingo set (study group) with other endoscopic techniques (control group) for BBS treatment in 6 German hospitals. The primary endpoint was procedure time. Further outcome parameters were technical success, adverse event rate, and number and cost of devices used in each group.

Thirty-six patients (18 in each group; mean age, 73 years; 12 women) were included in this study between March 2018 and December 2022. Median time since placement of the feeding tube was 30 months. The bumper was located in the gastric corpus in 27 patients, and the internal bumper was completely overgrown in 31 patients. The duration of the removal procedure was 17 minutes (range, 3-72) in the study group compared with 38 minutes (range, 12-111) in the control group (P = .046). The primary technical success rate was 77.8% in the study group and 55.6% in the control group (P = .157), whereas the overall technical success rate was 100% compared with 83.3% (P = .070). Adverse events occurred in 4 patients (11.1%).

Endoscopic removal of the buried bumper using the Flamingo device was significantly faster than that with other endoscopic techniques and showed a higher technical success rate. This device may become the endoscopic treatment of choice for BBS. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT03186066.)