Nutritional Implications in Postoperative Patients

In this review, the impact of surgical interventions along the gastrointestinal tract, from the stomach to the colon and rectum, on both immediate and long-term postoperative nutrition are reviewed.

As the understanding of metabolic and cellular pathways continue to be elucidated, the recommendations for correction of nutritional deficits following surgery have continued to expand. Suggestions for nutritional monitoring and supplementation are provided from a wide variety of patient populations. The role of parenteral nutrition and enteral access for exogenous enteral feeding are also discussed in the context of holistic nutritional support.

Through examination of the anatomic changes that result following various operations, defined in this review via anatomic location, the differences in nutritional requirements of patients post operatively can be examined and implemented. Within the stomach, bariatric surgery has resulted in the reduction of metabolic disorders, but this anatomic rearrangement leads to further vitamin and mineral requirements that must be addressed. The same pattern is noted from the stomach to the colon, with varying physiologic and anatomical requirements. Understanding these physiologic derangements is an important component of post operative patient care.