OBJECTIVETo explore the feasibility and safety of enteral nutrition in preoperative bowel preparation for rectal cancer patients undergoing radical operation.

METHODSSixty rectal cancer patients undergoing selective low anterior resection were randomized into the trial group(n=30) and the control group(n=30). Patients in the trial group received clean liquid integral protein diet for 3 days before operation without mechanical bowel preparation. Patients in the control group received traditional diet and mechanical bowel preparation. The intraoperative and postoperative clinical data, the quality of bowel preparation, postoperative complications, and nutritional parameters were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in clinicopathological characteristics between the two groups before operation. The operative time, blood loss, quality of bowel preparation as well as postoperative hospital stay were not significantly different(all P>0.05). While the time to first flatus [(2.53±0.91) d vs. (3.03±0.68) d] and semi-liquid diet intake[(3.95±0.83) d vs. (4.52±1.14) d] were significantly shorter in the trial group as compared with the control group(all P<0.05). There were no death and no significant difference in postoperative complications [16.7%(5/30) vs. 20.0%(6/30), P>0.05]. The levels of postoperative total protein, albumin, and prealbumin decreased significantly. Meanwhile, the levels of postoperative albumin[(36.2±2.5) g/L vs. (33.5±2.6) g/L, P<0.01] and prealbumin [(325.4±28.2) mg/L vs. (302.5±34.2) mg/L, P<0.01] in the trial group were significantly higher than those in the control group.

CONCLUSIONSPreoperative enteral nutrition can replace the mechanical bowel preparation with better efficacy, and improve the postoperative nutritional status without increasing surgical risk in rectal cancer patients undergoing radical operation.