Home Enteral Nutrition

Overview

Mayo Clinic has one of the largest programs in the world to train patients to deliver enteral nutrition (tube feeding) at home. Mayo specialists evaluate and train more than 500 new patients every year to perform this treatment. Because of their experience, Mayo Clinic specialists often receive referrals from doctors around the world for individuals experiencing problems with their enteral nutrition.

Enteral (EN ter al) nutrition delivers needed nutrients to patients through a tube in the stomach or small intestine. Mayo's program teaches patients how to administer the appropriate amount of calories, protein, carbohydrate, fat and essential vitamins, minerals, and fluids for adequate nutrition and hydration in their own home.

Enteral nutrition at home may be administered on a temporary basis for a few weeks or for life, depending on the condition.

The care team at Mayo Clinic includes:

• Mayo physicians who specialize in nutrition evaluate patients to determine the best approach for their nutrition problem and medical or surgical diagnosis.
• Dietitians or nurses specially trained in enteral nutrition who teach patients and family members about preparing, administering and monitoring their tube feeding and caring for enteral lines.
• Gastroenterologists, radiologists and surgeons who place feeding tubes.

• Treatment in Arizona
• Treatment in Florida
• Treatment in Minnesota

About Enteral Nutrition

Enteral nutrition is a treatment for people who are unable to eat safely by mouth or have severe digestive problems. Cancer (head and neck, stomach and esophagus) is one of the most common reasons home tube feeding is necessary. Other conditions which can prevent normal digestion or intake of food by mouth include Crohn's disease, ALS, stroke, surgical bowel removal (short bowel syndrome), and motility problems due to surgical adhesions, radiation enteritis, neurological disorders, and other conditions.