Malnutrition affects the clinical outcomes of pancreatic disease. On the other hand, the changes in the nutritional status stratified by malignant and non-malignant diseases after surgery still need to be determined. The aim was to confirm the changing nutritional status and clinical outcomes after a pancreatoduodenectomy according to malignant and non-malignant disease.
Data were collected prospectively from 157 patients between 2009 and 2015. The nutritional status was classified as well-nourished, at-risk of malnutrition, and malnourished by a Mini Nutrition Assessment. The clinical outcomes were assessed using the postoperative complication, hospital stay, biochemical nutritional markers, and quality-of-life (QOL).
Preoperatively, the proportion of malnourished status in the malignant disease group (group B) were 66.7% and 33.3% in the non-malignancy group (group A). The malnutrition rate in group B was higher than that in group A at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery (58.1% vs. 41.9%, 90.0% vs. 10.0, 77.8% vs. 22.2%, respectively). The preoperative QOL was significantly lower in group B than in group A (P<.001); however, the QOL was comparable between the two groups after surgery. The body mass index was unrecovered after surgery in all groups.
Patients with malignant pancreatic disease are more likely to suffer from a poor nutritional status than those with non-malignant pancreatic disease. One year after the pancreatoduodenctomy, the at-risk of malnutrition and malnourished rate were found to be over 70% in all patients. Therefore, more efforts will be needed to improve the nutritional status in pancreatic head disease.