How does a feeding tube work?

A feeding tube allows you to get the nutrition you need without eating or drinking. Here’s how it works.

A doctor will do surgery to insert the feeding tube. The doctor will place one end of the tube inside your stomach. The other end will be on the outside of your skin, but it’s easy to cover up under clothes. It only takes a few minutes for the doctor to insert the feeding tube. Depending on your needs, you may go home the same day or spend 1 or 2 nights in the hospital.

Your ALS care team will recommend a liquid formula for you to use in the feeding tube that has all of the nutrition you need.

Some people are able to eat and drink in addition to using a feeding tube. Other people get all of their nutrition through the feeding tube. This may also change over time as your ALS symptoms progress.

When you’re ready to eat, you’ll need to put the formula in your feeding tube. There are 2 different ways to do this. You can use a bag that drips the formula into the feeding tube or a pump that pushes the formula into the tube. You may need someone to help you set up the bag or pump each time.