Published online Apr 14, 2016. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i14.3821
Peer-review started: September 1, 2015
First decision: September 29, 2015
Revised: October 22, 2015
Accepted: December 30, 2015
Article in press: December 30, 2015
Published online: April 14, 2016
Processing time: 212 Days and 14.3 Hours
AIM: To analyze and compare postoperative morbidity between patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and early enteral nutrition supplemented with parenteral nutrition (EEN + PN).
METHODS: Three hundred and forty patients receiving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) from 2009 to 2013 at our center were enrolled retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups depending on postoperative nutrition support scheme: an EEN + PN group (n = 87) and a TPN group (n = 253). Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, preoperative biochemical parameters, pathological diagnosis, intraoperative information, and postoperative complications of the two groups were analyzed.
RESULTS: The two groups did not differ in demographic characteristics, preoperative comorbidities, preoperative biochemical parameters or pathological findings (P > 0.05 for all). However, patients with EEN + PN following PD had a higher incidence of delayed gastric emptying (16.1% vs 6.7%, P = 0.016), pulmonary infection (10.3% vs 3.6%, P = 0.024), and probably intraperitoneal infection (18.4% vs 10.3%, P = 0.059), which might account for their longer nasogastric tube retention time (9 d vs 5 d, P = 0.006), postoperative hospital stay (25 d vs 20 d, P = 0.055) and higher hospitalization expenses (USD10397 vs USD8663.9, P = 0.008), compared to those with TPN.
CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that TPN might be safe and sufficient for patient recovery after PD. Postoperative EEN should only be performed scrupulously and selectively.
Core tip: Although most studies have shown that early enteral nutrition (EEN) seems to be superior to total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in postoperative outcomes, the optimal nutritional support route choice after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) remains debatable. In this retrospective study, we investigated postoperative outcomes between patients undergoing TPN and EEN + PN after PD. The results demonstrated that the EEN + PN group had an increased morbidity of delayed gastric emptying and pulmonary infection, which might account for longer nasogastric tube retention time, postoperative hospital stay and higher hospitalization expenses. In our opinion, EEN should only be performed cautiously and selectively.