Abstract

Purpose: Malnutrition is common in patients with end-stage liver disease and is a risk factor for post-transplant morbidity. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of an enteral feeding diet in patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).
Materials and Methods: Between January 2013 and May 2013, 17 patients underwent LDLT and enrolled in the randomized controlled study. Early enteral feeding group (EN group, n?8) was defined as patients with an enteral feeding diet and the control group (n?9) was defined as patients who received an oral diet after gas out. We identified the clinical characteristics and nutritional status before and after LDLT in each group.
Results: Median age and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score were 52 years (range, 36∼65 years) and 11 points (range, 6∼22 points), respectively. All patients in the EN group tolerated and did not show ileus, nausea, or vomiting. There was no statistical difference in clinical characteristics between EN group and control group. The mid-arm circumference and mid-arm muscle circumference in the EN group were higher than in the control group at 1 week and 1 month after LDLT (P<0.05). The subjective global assessment in the EN group was lower than in the control group at 1 week and 1 month after LDLT (P<0.05). However, the change of triceps skin fold, body mass index, and ratio of body weight to ideal body weight in each group did not reach a significant level.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that early enteral feeding may improve postoperative nutritional status and hasten recovery after LDLT. (Surg Metab Nurtr 2014;5:37-42)

• Keywords: Enteral feeding, Nutritional status, Subjective global assessment, Liver transplantation, Living donor