The impact of total parenteral nutrition on postoperative recovery in patients treated for advanced stage ovarian cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) presumably benefits cancer patients although reports have disputed the significance of this nutritional intervention. We sought to compare the postoperative outcomes of ovarian cancer patients treated with either TPN or conservative management.


METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated the impact of TPN and conservative management in ovarian cancer patients who underwent debulking surgery and a bowel resection. The primary study variables encompassed patient time until restoration of bowel function, number of postoperative complications and duration of hospital stay.


RESULTS
There were 147 subjects who were selected for this study. The patients who were treated with TPN (n = 69) demonstrated a longer time until restoration of bowel function (5.77 vs. 4.70 days; P < 0.001), experienced lower pre-operative albumin levels (2.22 vs. 2.97 g/dL; P < 0.001) and endured a significantly longer hospital stay (11.46 vs. 7.14 days; P < 0.001) compared to the conservative management (n = 78) cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
Postoperative TPN in ovarian cancer patients may be inadvisable because of the increased risk for complications. Moreover, in the hypoalbuminemic patients, TPN may have not only delayed their postoperative recovery and increased hospital stay duration, but further precipitated the manifestation of nosocomial sequelae.
Gynecologic Oncology Associates, 351 Hospital Road, Suite #507, Newport Beach, CA, 92663, USA.
Alberto A
AA
Mendivil
Gynecologic Oncology Associates, 351 Hospital Road, Suite #507, Newport Beach, CA, 92663, USA.
Mark A
MA
Rettenmaier
Gynecologic Oncology Associates, 351 Hospital Road, Suite #507, Newport Beach, CA, 92663, USA.
Lisa N
LN
Abaid
Gynecologic Oncology Associates, 351 Hospital Road, Suite #507, Newport Beach, CA, 92663, USA.
John V
JV
Brown
Gynecologic Oncology Associates, 351 Hospital Road, Suite #507, Newport Beach, CA, 92663, USA.
Kristina M
KM
Mori
Gynecologic Oncology Associates, 351 Hospital Road, Suite #507, Newport Beach, CA, 92663, USA. bram@gynoncology.com.
Bram H
BH
Goldstein
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
D012709:Serum Albumin
Gynecologic surgery; Intestinal surgery; Ovarian cancer; Postoperative recovery; Total parenteral nutrition