title: Impact of long-term enteral nutrition on clinical and endoscopic recurrence after resection for Crohn's disease: A prospective, non-randomized, parallel, controlled study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The impact of enteral nutrition on post-operative recurrence has not been properly examined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of enteral nutrition using an elemental diet on clinical and endoscopic recurrence after resection for Crohn's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty consecutive patients who underwent resection for ileal or ileocolonic Crohn's disease were studied. After operation, 20 patients continuously received enteral nutritional therapy (EN group), and 20 had neither nutritional therapy nor food restriction (non-EN group). In the EN group, enteral formula (Elental) was infused through a nasogastric tube in the night-time, and low fat foods were taken in the daytime. All patients were followed up regularly for 1 year after operation. Ileocolonoscopy was performed at 6 and 12 months after operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One patient (5%) in the EN group and seven (35%) in the non-EN group developed clinical recurrence during 1-year follow-up (P = 0.048). Six months after operation, five patients (25%) in the EN group and eight (40%) in the non-EN group developed endoscopic recurrence (P = 0.50). Twelve months after operation, endoscopic recurrence was observed in six patients (30%) in the EN group and 14 (70%) in the non-EN group (P = 0.027).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our long-term enteral nutritional therapy significantly reduced clinical and endoscopic recurrence after resection for Crohn's disease.
authors.affiliation: Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre & Department of Surgery, Yokkaichi Social Insurance Hospital, Yokkaichi, Mie, Japan. nao-taka@sannet.ne.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakahigashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Umegae
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome