[Experiences with early postoperative enteral tube feeding]

Over a period of 2 years 234 patients scheduled for major intraabdominal surgery were fed postoperatively via fine needle jejunostomy catheter. Nutrition ensued directly after surgery. Mean period of nutrition was 7.8 +/- 1.5 days. Care of the catheter was simple and secure. Compatibility with formula nutrition was good. Pertaining to catheter related complications, 25 patients presented diarrhoea, which was generally tolerable. Occasionally, flatulence and nausea occurred. In one patient, catheter nourishment had to be discontinued because of diarrhoea. One further discontinuation occurred due to postoperative non-catheter-related ileus. Clinical postoperative progress and laboratory findings showed no negative results relating to this form of nutrition.