04/23/2026
A proud milestone for the AtlantiCare Neuro ICU team.
Dr. Samson Zarbiv, Director of the Neuro ICU at AtlantiCare City Campus, has performed the first percutaneous ultrasound gastrostomy (PUG) tube placement in New Jersey, a meaningful advance for our patients and community.
Unlike traditional PEG (endoscopic) or IR-guided placement, PUG is performed entirely at the bedside using real-time ultrasound guidance. No endoscopy suite, no fluoroscopy, and no transport out of the ICU.
For our most critically ill neurologic patients, that means:
-Earlier enteral nutrition
-No risk-laden transports out of the unit
-Reduced anesthesia exposure
-A safer, faster path to recovery and a shorter length of stay
-No operating room required. Traditionally a case like this would go to the OR, but with PUG it can be done right in the ICU.
Milestones like this reflect what's possible when great teams work together. The GNI at AtlantiCare partnership continues to bring advanced, subspecialty neurocritical care to patients across southern New Jersey, and this first is a credit to the entire AtlantiCare Neuro ICU team.
Congratulations to Dr. Zarbiv and the team at AtlantiCare City Campus for raising the bar for what's possible at the bedside, right here in New Jersey.