Early postoperative complications in patients with Crohn's disease given and not given preoperative total parenteral nutrition.

OBJECTIVE: The effect of preoperative total parenteral nutrition (TPN) on the rate of early (within 30 days) postoperative complications in patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD) was examined.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A series of 15 consecutive patients with CD (mean CD activity index score, 270) given preoperative TPN for 18-90 days (mean, 46 days) and undergoing bowel resection and primary anastomosis was compared with matching controls (105 patients) consecutively selected from all CD patients operated in Stockholm County during a preceding 20-year period without preoperative TPN.

RESULTS: During the preoperative TPN, all the patients studied displayed clinical remission of CD as reflected in improvement in their general well-being, relief of abdominal pain, and abatement of fever and diarrhea. There was no significant early postoperative complication in the TPN-treated group, whereas there were 29 patients with early postoperative complications in the control group, which means a significantly higher rate of postoperative complications when preoperative TPN was not provided. During the preoperative TPN, some crucial variables increased such as the body weight, the serum concentrations of albumin and triiodothyronine reflecting improved nutritional state, whereas the serum concentration of haptoglobin and the white cell count decreased reflecting decreased inflammatory activity.

CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that preoperative TPN for at least 18 days may be recommended to be given to patients with moderate to severe CD until clinical remission is achieved in order to minimize the risk of early postoperative complications.