[Peripheral venous hypocaloric nutrition following large abdominal interventions]

Abstract

In a pilot study with 10 patients after major abdominal operations like gastrectomy or esophagectomy a postoperative hypocaloric peripheral-venous nutrition was performed. Prerequisite was a good nutritional status established by anthropometric measurements and determinations of visceral proteins and an uneventful operation of less than 4 hours duration and max. up to 1000 cc blood loss. After 10 days of infusion only body weight and the skin falt thickness were reduced. During the peripheral nutrition insulin, glucose, free fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate showed only minor movements. Only on the 4th postoperative day the urinary-N-excretion increased over 16 g/24 h. The study demonstrates that hypocaloric peripheral-venous nutrition under certain preconditions will be an alternative to standard nutrition.