Postsurgical infections are reduced with specialized nutrition support

Area of Science:

• Surgical Nutrition
• Immune-Modulating Nutrients
• Clinical Outcomes Research

Background:

• Postoperative morbidity remains a significant concern in elective surgery.
• Optimizing patient nutrition is crucial for recovery and reducing complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of pre-, peri-, and postoperative specialized nutritional support with immune-modulating nutrients on postoperative morbidity.
• To determine the efficacy of the IMPACT formula in elective surgery patients.

Main Methods:

• Meta-analysis of 17 randomized clinical trials (n=2,305) involving IMPACT formula supplementation.
• Inclusion of published and unpublished studies assessing pre-, peri-, and/or postoperative supplementation.
• Focus on outcomes including postoperative complications, mortality, and length of hospital stay.

Main Results:

• IMPACT supplementation led to significant reductions in postoperative infectious complications (39%-61%) and decreased hospital length of stay by an average of 2 days.
• The most substantial improvements were seen with preoperative nutritional support.
• Preoperative IMPACT supplementation reduced anastomotic leaks by 46% in gastrointestinal surgical patients.

Conclusions:

• Specific dosage (0.5-1 L/day) and duration (5-7 days preoperatively) of IMPACT supplementation improve outcomes in elective surgery patients, especially those undergoing GI procedures.
• Preoperative IMPACT use is a cost-effective strategy for preventing postoperative complications.
• Findings support the use of preoperative IMPACT for prophylaxis against postoperative complications.