title: Does perioperative immunonutrition reduce postoperative complications in patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing operations?
abstract: Perioperative immune modulation using specialized enteral diets containing specific immunonutrients may improve postoperative outcomes in critically ill patients compared with standard formulas. A study from Italy involving 305 patents with histologically confirmed cancer of the gastrointestinal tract undergoing major elective surgery and preoperative weight loss < 10% demonstrated that a specialized preoperative oral formula enriched with arginine, omega-3 fatty acids, and RNA for 5 days before surgery with no nutritional support postoperatively (preoperative group) was as effective as pre- and postoperative administration of the same enriched formula (perioperative group) in decreasing the incidence of postoperative infections and length of hospital stay. Both pre- and perioperative immunonutritional strategies were superior to the conventional approach (no artificial nutrition perioperatively).
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Toronto, St. Michael's Hospital, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8.
authors.forename: David N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Moskovitz
authors.forename: Young-In
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D002100:Cachexia / Q000628:therapy; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome