Publication:

Role of preoperative nutrition in gastro-intestinal cancer patients: a prospective study

Background This prospective study was carried out to compare outcome and postoperative complication in patients with gastro-intestinal malignancy who received preoperative total parentral nutrition with those whom doesn’t.

Methods The study was a prospective single-centre, two-arm, conducted in department of general surgery, Gandhi Medical College and Associated Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India of one year duration, a total of 60 patients with G. I. malignancy, with or without sign of malnutrition, were included in the study. Patients were randomized and 30 patients were placed in each arm (interventional and control group) patients in the control group were asked to continue their normal feeding while interventional arm were given TPN in addition to their normal diet, for 7 to 10 days before surgery.

Results Infectious complications were more in control group, while one case each of pneumonia and sepsis was observed in patients receiving supplementation. Complications related to nutritional status of the patient like wound infection and anastomotic leak were observed only in patients without supplementation. There was no death observed in interventional group but two deaths occurred in control group.

Conclusions Preoperative nutritional support is beneficial and should be routinely used in abdominal and gastrointestinal cancer patient with or without clinical signs of malnutrition.