[The use of residue-free resorbable nutrient preparations in colonic surgery]

1. Our tests have shown that the use of the oral nutrient Vivasorb which is completely resorbed in the small intestine, allows patients to be prepared for a large bowel surgical procedure without having them fast. This nutrient guarantees the supply of all the necessary components of nutrition, including high caloric value. 2. The main effects that recommend the use of Vivasorb are: an improvement in the conditions for the healing of intestinal sutures because of the absence of intestinal contents and good trophic conditions in the intestinal wall. 3. The use of Vivasorb offers the possibility to avoid successive operations, e.g. with temporary fistulae. 4. The administration of Vivasorb allows the possibility to balance the nitrogen deficit which would otherwise result from fasting during the preparative stage before the operation and, additionally, from the increased turnover which persists during the post-operative phase. 5. We achieved good successes with the oral nutrient Vivasorb in our investigations, and in the operative treatment of large bowel and rectal carcinomas, and in cases of haemorrhoids and anal fistuale. Further investigations are being made. 6. We feel that it is favourable to use enemas during the preparative period, so that by removing the faeces remaining from the time before Vivasorb administration, the preparation period can be shortened without compromising the "sterility" of the large bowel.