Early enteral nutrition vs parenteral nutrition following pancreaticoduodenectomy: Experience from a single center

AIM: To analyze and compare postoperative morbidity between patients receiving total parenteral nutrition(TPN) and early enteral nutrition supplemented with parenteral nutrition(EEN + PN).METHODS: Three hundred and forty patients receiving pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD) from 2009 to 2013 at our center were enrolled retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups depending on postoperative nutrition support scheme: an EEN + PN group(n = 87) and a TPN group(n = 253). Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, preoperative biochemicalparameters, pathological diagnosis, intraoperative information, and postoperative complications of the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: The two groups did not differ in demographic characteristics, preoperative comorbidities, preoperative biochemical parameters or pathological findings(P > 0.05 for all). However, patients with EEN + PN following PD had a higher incidence of delayed gastric emptying(16.1% vs 6.7%, P = 0.016), pulmonary infection(10.3% vs 3.6%, P = 0.024), and probably intraperitoneal infection(18.4% vs 10.3%, P = 0.059), which might account for their longer nasogastric tube retention time(9 d vs 5 d, P = 0.006), postoperative hospital stay(25 d vs 20 d, P = 0.055) and higher hospitalization expenses(USD10397 vs USD8663.9, P = 0.008), compared to those with TPN.CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that TPN might be safe and sufficient for patient recovery after PD. Postoperative EEN should only be performed scrupulously and selectively.