[Reduced nutritional status of the surgical tumor patient--a risk factor for postoperative complications?]

In recent years nutritional status gained greater attention as a surgical risk factor. In 100 patients with solid and operable tumours nutritional assessment with different types of measurements (dietary habits, ideal weight/height, triceps skinfold, arm muscle circumference, creatinine-height index, serum protein, albumin, prealbumin, cholinesterase, transferrin, total peripheral lymphocytes, and skin tests) was performed. Individual abnormal nutritional measurements were compared with the incidence of complications postoperatively, which were found in 32 out of 95 patients. These complications appeared more often in correlation with the decline of nutritional status. However, we could not prove a statistically significant correlation between the examined parameters themselves and the incidence or lack, respectively, of postoperative complications. Possible reasons are discussed.