Background: Patients with cancer suffer alterations of their metabolic state and nutritional depletion.
This review was designed to evaluate the effect of different nutritional regimens on
surgical outcomes.
Method: Review of the literature on parenteral and enteral nutrition and immunonutrition
in patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing major surgery. The outcome measures
were postoperative complication rate and length of hospital stay.
Results: Postoperative enteral nutrition reduced significantly the rate of postoperative complications
compared with parenteral feeding only in malnourished subjects. Several metaanalyses
and randomized trials showed that preoperative and perioperative use of an enteral
formula containing arginine and omega-3 fatty acids has a significant beneficial effect on surgical
outcome in both well-nourished and malnourished patients.
Conclusions: Enteral immunonutrition should represent the first choice to nourish surgical
subjects.
