Objective: Postoperative results will be poor when major surgeries are performed on patients with malnutrition. Therefore, it is recommended in the perioperative period to provide nutritional support (NS) to patients with malnutrition for surgeries especially for cancer. Although different opinions on the timing of NS continue, data on the effect of this treatment on readmission rates are also insufficient.

Methods: A study was planned on patients undergoing resective surgery for intraabdominal malignancy between January 2010 and December 2018. Patients who were given preoperative oral nutritional supplementation (ONS) constituted group A and those who were given perioperative NS constituted group B. Demographic data, comorbidities, preoperative prealbumin values, surgeries performed, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, rehospitalization rates within the first 30 days after discharge, and prealbumin values at readmission were compared between the 2 groups.

Results: The data of 371 patients (157 in group A and 214 in group B) who met the inclusion criteria for the study were evaluated. No statistical difference was found between the 2 groups in terms of demographic data and comorbid diseases. Postoperative complications were observed in 42 patients (26.7%) in group A and in 53 patients (24.7%) in group B (p>0.05). The number of patients who developed problems requiring rehospitalization within the first 30 days was 18 (11.4%) in group A and 11 (5.1%) in group B (p<0.05). The number of patients with more than 5% weight loss at the time of readmission compared with the day of discharge was 9 (50%) in group A and 1 (20%) in group B (p<0.05). A statistical difference was found in prealbumin levels at the time of readmission (p<0.05).

Conclusion: NS treatment, which is started in the preoperative period and continued postoperatively, has more positive effects on readmission rates and postoperative nutritional status.

Keywords: Malnutrition, nutritional support, readmission, surgery