DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION AT HOME IMPROVES THE REGAIN OF LEAN BODY-MASSAFTER SURGERY

Little is known about nutritional intake after discharge though it tak es months to regain preoperative weight after gastrointestinal surgery . We studied whether a 4-mo intervention with dietary advice and prote in-rich supplements would increase nutritional intake and gain in lean body mass (LBM) in patients who had undergone gastrointestinal surger y. Patients admitted for gastrointestinal surgery were randomized at d ischarge to serve as control patients (n = 47) or to receive intervent ion (n = 40). One month after discharge, the control patients had a nu tritional intake (3-d diet record) comparable with the intake of the g eneral population that did not increase further. During the 4 m, the i ntervention patients had an increased intake of protein (+22%) and ene rgy (+16%), and an enhanced gain of LBM after 2 mo (control 0.8 kg ver sus intervention 2.1 kg; P = 0.009). After the 4-mo intervention, both LBM and fat were gained (control 1.7 kg LBM and 0.2 kg fat versus int ervention 3.1 kg LBM and 1.5 kg fat; LBM: P = 0.029 and fat: P = 0.056 ). At discharge patients should increase protein intake to 1.5 g.kg(-1 ).d(-1) for 2 mo, e.g., by taking protein-rich liquid supplements. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 1997.