Perioperative nutrition in ERAS Protocols

Abstract

The trauma involved in any surgical procedure, even if elective, causes a metabolic stress response characterized by postoperative insulin resistance (PIR). PIR is considered a surgical stress marker and is associated with increased morbidity and postoperative length of stay. PIR worsens when the patient is operated in a state of prolonged preoperative fasting or when postoperative feeding is delayed. The ERAS Protocols (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) includes anesthetic, surgical, kinesiology, nutritional and nursing interventions aimed to modulate PIR. The nutritional perioperative interventions in the ERAS protocols, focus on avoiding prolonged preoperative fasting by oral carbohydrate loading up to two hours before surgery, accompanied by early postoperative feeding through the digestive tube. These nutritional perioperative interventions are safe and effective to reduce complications and postoperative stay, even in patients with well controlled type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, their implementation and compliance are rather low, therefore, we must continue to make efforts in order to change perioperative nutritional management of our patients to achieve the best possible postoperative recovery.