[Nutrition in the surgical patient: immunonutrition]

Malnutrition plays an important role in the rate of postoperative complications that interfere with our surgical activity, impairing immune response mechanisms; synthesis and regeneration processes are damaged and the fight against infection is altered. Preoperative and postoperative administration of diets enriched with diverse substances included under the name of "immunonutrients" reduces the rate of complications. Our knowledge about the mechanisms of action of each immunonutrient is increasing as well as the fact that the combined action of these substances improves the immune system and protects the organism against the negative effect of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome.