Research Journal of Medical Sciences
ISSN: Online 1993-6095ISSN: Print 1815-9346
Abstract
Malnutrition is prevalent among patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery and is associated with increased postoperative complications. This study aimed to investigate the effects of preoperative nutritional support on surgical outcomes in this patient population. We conducted a prospective cohort study with a parallel‐group randomized controlled trial subset. Eligible adult patients scheduled for elective gastrointestinal surgery were randomized into two groups. The control group receiving standard preoperative care and the nutritional support group receiving individualized nutritional interventions. Primary outcomes included postoperative complications, while secondary outcomes comprised length of hospital stay, wound healing, nutritional status and infection rates. Statistical analyses were conducted using appropriate tests. In the nutritional support group, there was a significant reduction in surgical site infections (8% vs. 18% in the control group, p = 0.042), leading to an overall lower infection rate (14% vs. 28% in the control group, p = 0.011). Additionally, patients in the nutritional support group had a shorter length of hospital stay (6.4 vs. 7.2 days in the control group, p = 0.016) and exhibited superior wound healing (80% vs. 68% with excellent healing in the control group, p = 0.049). Nutritional markers, including serum albumin, prealbumin and total lymphocyte count, were significantly higher in the nutritional support group (p<0.05). Preoperative nutritional support in gastrointestinal surgery patients was associated with reduced postoperative complications, shorter hospital stays, improved wound healing and enhanced nutritional status. These findings underscore the potential benefits of incorporating nutritional support into preoperative care protocols for better surgical outcomes.
How to cite this article:
Mahima Srivastava, Sushant Kumar Sharma, Ashok Kumar and Tauseef Kibria. Impact of Pre‐Operative Nutritional Support on Surgical Outcome in Gastrointestinal Surgery.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/10.59218/makrjms.2023.10.82.87
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1815-9346/10.59218/makrjms.2023.10.82.87