What does it mean to be tube fed?

Tube feeding is another way to describe enteral nutrition. If a person cannot eat by mouth, but their stomach and/or intestines are still working, one potential way to deliver nutrients is called “enteral nutrition” or “tube feeding”.
Tube feeding uses a special medical device, sometimes called a “feeding tube”, to create a direct pathway to deliver nutrition into the body. Feeding tubes can be used to deliver formula, real food blends, medication, and water.
Feeding tubes are named by where they enter the body and where the tube is placed. For example, if the device is being placed directly into the stomach or the “gastric” space, it will be called a “gastrostomy” tube or G-Tube.
Your healthcare team (doctors, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists) will talk with you about the different types of feeding tubes and prescribe the proper feeding device for your medical and nutritional needs.