The nutritional risk is a independent factor for postoperative morbidity in surgery for colorectal cancer

The authors evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition and its effect on the postoperative morbidity of patients after surgery for colorectal cancer.

Three hundred fifty-two patients were enrolled prospectively. Nutritional risk screening 2002 (NRS 2002) score was calculated through interview with patient on admission. Clinical characteristics, tumor status and surgical procedure were recorded.

The prevalence of patients at nutritional risk was 28.1 per cent according to the NRS 2002. The rate of postoperative complication was 27%. There was a significant difference in postoperative complication rates between patients at nutritional risk and those not at risk (37.4% vs. 22.9%, P = 0.006). Nutritional risk was identified as an independent predictor of postoperative complications (odds ratio, 3.05; P = 0.045). Nutritional risk increased the rate of anastomotic leakage (P = 0.027) and wound infection (P = 0.01).

NRS may be a prognostic factor for postoperative complication after surgery for colorectal cancer. A large scaled prospective study is needed to confirm whether supplementing nutritional deficits reduces postoperative complication rates.