Normal food at will and nil-by-mouth enteral feeding after major upper GI surgery did not differ for mortality or morbidity

Secondary outcomes included minor complications (atelectasis, wound infection, and incisional hernia) and adverse events, bowel function, postoperative weight loss, and length of hospital stay. A systematic review by Lewis et al identified 11 RCTs and found that feeding at will after major upper or lower GI surgery reduced infection and length of hospital stay, and increased vomiting. 2 Insufficient detail in reporting and poor methodological quality of the included trials limits generalisability.