Nutritional risk is still a clinical predictor of postoperative outcomes in laparoscopic abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND

The relationship between nutritional risk and postoperative recovery of patients with major laparoscopic abdominal surgery is still unclear. The present study was designed to assess the value of the nutritional risk screening in predicting the postoperative outcomes in this cohort of patients.

METHODS

Data from a consecutive series of 75 patients undergoing various elective major laparoscopic abdominal operations was prospectively collected. Nutritional risk was defined by the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) score and correlated to the incidence of postoperative complications and hospital stay. Multivariate regression identified factors associated with 30-day complications [odds ratio (95 % confidence interval)].

RESULTS

The overall incidence of nutritional risk was 34.7 %. There was a significantly higher infectious complication rate of 38.5 % in patients at nutritional risk, compared to 12.2 % in patients at no risk (p = 0.008). No significant difference of postoperative hospital stay and overall complications was found in patients at nutritional risk or not. Nutritional risk was identified as an independent predictor of postoperative infectious complications (odds ratio 4.87 [1.33-17.84]; p = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study reinforces the value of the NRS 2002 to identify patients at higher risk of infectious complications after major laparoscopic abdominal surgery. In the era of minimally invasive surgery, the problem of nutritional risk still deserves our attention and concern.