OBJECTIVETo observe the safety and efficacy of early oral enteral nutrition after colorectal cancer operation.

METHODSA total of 88 colorectal cancer patients in our department from March 2013 to December 2013 were prospectively enrolled in the study and randomly divided into early enteral nutrition group(43 cases, receiving early water and enteral nutrition after operation) and early fasting group(45 cases, receiving conventional postoperative care protocol) based on the random number table. The postoperative recovery, complication morbidity, nutritional status and stress were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSCompared to early fasting group, patients in early enteral nutrition group had a significantly shorter duration of postoperative fever [(53.7±5.9) h vs. (64.5±5.8) h, P<0.01], a shorter interval to flatus [(57.5±8.2) h vs. (71.8±7.2) h, P<0.01], a shorter hospital stay [(6.9±1.4) d vs. (8.5±1.9) d, P<0.01] and lower medical cost [(41 868±3168) Yuan vs. (45 950±3714) Yuan, P<0.01]. There was no significant difference in complication morbidity between the two groups [18.6%(8/43) vs. 22.2%(10/45), P>0.05]. The albumin, prealbumin, and retinol binding protein on the third and seventh postoperative days were significantly higher in early oral enteral nutrition group (P<0.05), while the rest energy expense (REE) and lnHOMA-IR were significantly lower as compared to early fasting group (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONEarly oral enteral nutrition after colorectal cancer operation is safe and effective, which is a natural route of nutrition and can reduce the stress response related to surgery, improve postoperative patients' nutritional status and accelerate rehabilitation.