[Nutritional habits and protein status of surgical patients during the preclinical phase]

In this study the importance of nutrition during the preoperative period has to be find out. Three methods are helpful in it: 1. anamnesis of nutrition; 2. status of the subcutaneous fat tissue by measuring the skinfolds with a Harpenden-Caliper; 3. proteinstatus. 24 patients after gastric surgery and 20 patients of a control group were investigated. There was found a loss of weight inabout half of these 24 "gastric patients" preoperatively. These special patients showed a malnutrition in their anamnesis, thin skinfolds, low serum albumin and total protein concentration and a decreased concentration of immunoglobulins. They got six times more infectious complicationes than the patients without a preoperative loss of weight. It is proposed to develop an adequate plan for preoperative and post-operative nutrition.