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

摘要

The approach to feeding after major upper Gl surgery varies, with reports indicating a trend toward a more conservative strategy of nil by mouth compared with early oral feedings at will.1 The reluctance to initiate oral feedings stems from concerns about the integrity of the anastomosis as well as gastric dysmotility. A systematic review by Lewis et al identified 11 RCTs and found that feeding at will after major upper or lower Gl 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.