Lei Y, Zhu SS. Perioperative nutritional nursing interventions: Impact on wound healing, infection rates, and recovery indicators after gastric cancer surgery. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(10): 121807 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.121807]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Sha-Sha Zhu, Department of Nursing, Xi’an Ninth Hospital, No. 151 East Section of South Second Ring Road, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China. ss15891712676@outlook.com
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Medicine, General & Internal
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Lei Y, Zhu SS. Perioperative nutritional nursing interventions: Impact on wound healing, infection rates, and recovery indicators after gastric cancer surgery. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(10): 121807 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.121807]
World J Gastrointest Surg. Oct 27, 2026; 18(10): 121807 Published online Oct 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.121807
Perioperative nutritional nursing interventions: Impact on wound healing, infection rates, and recovery indicators after gastric cancer surgery
Ye Lei, Sha-Sha Zhu
Ye Lei, Department of General Surgery, Xi’an Ninth Hospital, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
Sha-Sha Zhu, Department of Nursing, Xi’an Ninth Hospital, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
Author contributions: Lei Y was responsible for conceptualization, data curation, methodology, software, formal analysis, project administration, visualization, writing - original draft; Zhu SS was responsible for investigation, supervision, validation, writing - review & editing.
AI contribution statement: This study did not utilize any AI tools for language polishing, translation, data analysis, or writing assistance. Neither did the research design nor the interpretation of results involve any AI tools.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Xi'an Ninth Hospital (Approval No. 26028).
Informed consent statement: The Medical Ethics Committee of Xi'an Ninth Hospital approved a waiver of written informed consent for this retrospective study involving de-identified medical records.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: Technical appendix, statistical code, and dataset available from the corresponding author at SS15891712676@outlook.com.
Corresponding author: Sha-Sha Zhu, Department of Nursing, Xi’an Ninth Hospital, No. 151 East Section of South Second Ring Road, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China. ss15891712676@outlook.com
Received: May 9, 2026 Revised: June 10, 2026 Accepted: July 15, 2026 Published online: October 27, 2026 Processing time: 160 Days and 23 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Postoperative complications of gastric cancer (GC) surgery often delay recovery and adversely affect patient outcomes, especially in patients predisposed to malnutrition. Poor nutritional status has been reported to affect wound healing, predispose patients to infection, and prolong hospital stay. Perioperative nutritional nursing interventions may, therefore, be an essential factor in enhancing recovery after surgery; however, research investigating their effectiveness in patients undergoing GC surgery is limited.
AIM
To assess the effectiveness of perioperative nutritional nursing interventions on wound healing, infection rate, and recovery after GC surgery.
METHODS
Clinical data of 160 patients who underwent surgery for GC between January 2023 and January 2025 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were categorized into two groups: Intervention [structured perioperative nutrition nursing interventions (n = 80)] and control [standard perioperative care (n = 80)]. Major assessments included wound healing, incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs), length of hospital stay, and time to resumption of normal activities. Statistical comparisons were performed using the independent samples t-test and χ2 test (P < 0.05).
RESULTS
Compared with patients in the control group, patients who received perioperative nutritional care intervention had better wound healing, a lower incidence of SSI (8.7% vs 15.0%, P = 0.042), a shorter hospital stay (10.5 days vs 13.2 days, P < 0.001), and a higher proportion of patients who could resume daily activities within 4 weeks (75% vs 60%, P = 0.043). Caution is required when interpreting these results because of the small sample size and limited number of infection cases.
CONCLUSION
A standardized perioperative nutritional care intervention can significantly promote wound healing, shorten hospital stay, and help patients recover their daily activities earlier, supporting its inclusion in routine perioperative care.
Core Tip: This retrospective cohort study investigated the efficacy of structured perioperative nutritional nursing interventions in patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery. Analyzing data from 160 patients, it compared outcomes between an intervention group (n = 80) and a standard care control group (n = 80). Results demonstrated that the intervention significantly improved wound healing, reduced surgical site infection rates, and shortened hospital length of stay. Furthermore, it facilitated earlier resumption of daily activities. The study concludes that integrating targeted nutritional nursing into perioperative care enhances postoperative recovery, advocating for its routine clinical implementation.
