Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is now a standard method for providing long-term enteral nutrition in patients who are unable to swallow. The aim of our study is to document our clinical data and our experience in Taiwan. The study was carried out retrospectively. Clinical data of patients having received a PEG tube by a single endoscopic technique were analyzed. A total of 27 patients underwent PEG in our departement. The reason for the operation were cranial nerve palsy in 10 (nine of them were after radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer), central nervous diseases in 12, malignant obstructed tumor in four and motorneuron disease in one patient. The operation was performed under local anesthesia. The operation times varied from 12 to 30 minutes and no major complications were experienced. Three patients (10.8%) developed minor complications, a wound infection in two and a malfunction of the tube in one patient. Seven-teen patients have had the gastrostomy tubes till July 1997. Six patients replaced the gastrostomy tube to a permanent button gastrostomy kit with great satisfaction. PEG is a very simple and effective method for gastrostomy tube placement and is advocated for all patients who depend on nasogastric tube feedings.