Research

Comparison of enteral nutrition with combined enteral and parenteral nutrition in post-pancreaticoduodenectomy patients: a pilot study

Shigeyuki Nagata^1,2 , Kengo Fukuzawa² , Yukio Iwashita² , Akira Kabashima² , Tadahiko Kinoshita² , Kenzo Wakasugi² and Yoshihiko Maehara¹

¹  Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

²  Department of Surgery, Oita Red Cross Hospital, Oita, Japan

author email corresponding author email

Nutrition Journal 2009, 8:24doi:10.1186/1475-2891-8-24

Published:	11 June 2009

Abstract

Background

Many clinical studies have demonstrated that early postoperative enteral nutrition (EN) improved the postroperative course. Post-pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), patients tend to suffer from postoperative nausea, abdominal distention, and diarrhoea, causing difficulty in the introduction of EN. In this pilot study, we investigated the appropriate nutritional mode post-pancreatic surgery.

Methods

Between October 2006 and March 2007 2 postoperative nutritional methods were implemented in 17 patients in a prospective single-centere study. Eight patients received only enteral nutrition (EN group) and 9 patients received enteral nutrition combined with parenteral nutrition (EN + PN group).

Results

There were no differences in the patient characteristics and postoperative morbidity between the 2 groups. The rate of discontinuance of enteral feeding was significantly high in the EN group, and the duration of enteral feeding was significantly longer in the EN + PN group. The central venous line was retained for a significantly longer period in the EN + PN group, but there was no difference in the frequency of catheter-related infection between the 2 groups.

Conclusion

EN combined with PN is more adequate for patients after pancreatic surgery.