OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of enhanced nutritional therapy on wound healing after endoscopic therapy in patients with liver cirrhosis and esophageal varices.

METHODSFifty patients with liver cirrhosis and esophageal varices were randomly divided into an enhanced nutritional therapy group (n = 25) and a control group (n = 25). The enhanced nutritional therapy group received one week of enhanced nutritional supplementation, including liver nutritional elements, prior to routine endoscopic therapy. The routine without any change to their diet. The rate of transformation and status of wound healing of esophageal varices were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe ratio of ulcers occurring at the injection site was lower in the enhanced nutrition group than in the control group (16/25 vs. 23/25; x2 = 5.711, P = 0.017). The enhanced nutrition group had only one case of minimal bleeding occurring during endoscopy as compared to the seven cases of bleeding in the control group (x2 = 5.357, P = 0.021). On average, the enhanced nutrition group required less sessions of endoscopic treatment to achieve eradication of esophageal varices than the control group (3.8 vs. 4.1; t = 2.069, P = 0.044).

CONCLUSIONPre-endoscopic enhanced nutritional therapy may benefit patients with liver cirrhosis and esophageal varices by promoting recovery of procedure-related local tissue injury and occlusion of varices.