[Nutritional status in patients after reconstructive surgery of the upper digestive tract--status after 3 years]

The authors present an analysis of the nutritional status of eleven patients after reconstruction operations of the upper digestive tract (9 men and 2 women, aged 27-67 years, 7 times gastric resection, 4 times resection of the oesophagus), almost in all instances on account of malignant tumours. During the investigation the patients were given dietary advice incl. on the need of a higher vitamin and mineral intake. Three years after surgery the nutritional status of the investigated subjects did not change significantly as compared with the status before surgery but some trends were detected (decline of the serum calcium and albumin concentrations). Based on the results assembled in this small group the authors support views reported in the literature that reconstruction surgery of the upper digestive tract is safe as regards the patient's nutritional status.