Effect of early postoperative enteral feeding on the healing of colonic anastomoses in rats - Comparison of three different enteral diets

This experimental study compares the effects of early postoperative adminis tration of three enteral diets of different compositions on the healing of colonic anastomoses. Sixty Wistar rats were subjected to colonic anastomose s. Following surgery, the rats were randomly allocated to four groups of 15 each. The rats in control group A received an electrolyte and glucose solu tion,the rats in group B received a complete balanced nutrition, in group C a complete balanced nutrition supplemented with fiber and in group D an is ocaloric specialized elemental nutrition enriched with glutamine. The rats were sacrificed on day 7 following operation. Rupture of the anastomosis wa s higher in rats of the control group compared to the other three groups. A dhesion formation was more extensive in group A in comparison to the other th ree groups. The anastomotic bursting pressures were statistically signif icantly higher in groups C and D compared to the other two groups (p < 0.05 ). There was no statistically significant difference between group C and D (p > 0.05) while a statistically significant difference was noted between g roup B and group A (p < 0.05). Histological examination showed more profoun d inflammatory reaction in group A compared to the other three groups. Ther e was also a statistically significant difference between group B and group s C and D while inflammatory reaction was of no statistically significant d ifference between group C and group D. Healing of the anastomoses was stati stically significantly impaired in group A compared to the other three grou ps. There was no statistically significant difference between group C and g roup D while a statistically significant difference was found between group B and groups C and D. In conclusion, early postoperative enteral feeding i mproves healing of experimental colonic anastomoses in rats. This effect wa s more evident when fiber-supplemented diets or diets enriched with glutami ne were administered.