Perioperative immunonutrition in patients undergoing cancer surgery: Results of a randomized double-blind phase 3 trial

Hypothesis: Perioperative administration of a supplemented enteral formula may reduce the rate of postoperative infections. Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. Selling: Department of surgery at a university hospital. Patients: Two hundred six patients with neoplasm of colorectum, stomach, or pancreas. Intervention: Patients were randomized to drink 1 L/d of either a control enteral formula (n = 104) or the same formula enriched with arginine, RNA, and ω3 fatty acids (n = 102) for 7 consecutive days before surgery. The 2 diets were isoenergetic and isonitrogenous. Jejunal infusion with the same formulas was started 6 hours after operation and continued until postoperative day 7. Main Outcome Measures: Rate of postoperative infectious complications and length of hospital stay. Results: Both groups were comparable for age, sex, weight loss, Karnofsky scale score, nutritional status, hemoglobin level, duration of surgery, blood loss, and rate of homologous transfu...