Zinc depletion and complications of surgery

Zinc is essential for protein synthesis and reduced levels may impair recovery from surgery. To study this prospectively, clinical, anthropometric, haematological and biochemical indices of malnutrition were measured in 46 patients undergoing elective surgery and were related to the frequency and type of post-operative complications. In addition, leucocyte zinc levels, which are an estimate of tissue zinc levels, were measured. The diagnoses of the patients did not correlate with any of these parameters. Many patients were malnourished. 39% of the patients had a post-operative complication, of whom 8 had a wound complication. The frequency of complications as a whole was inversely related to serum albumin and transferrin levels, while wound complications were in addition associated with low leucocyte zinc levels. Malnutrition may therefore increase post-operative complications in general, but tissue zinc deficiency may contribute to wound problems.