Journal of nutrition and metabolism
Perioperative Immunonutrition and Postoperative Recovery Patterns in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Surgery: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study
By Ferragina F, Ferro Y, Barca I and 5 others.
Abstract
Background
Malnutrition and sarcopenia negatively affect outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Immunonutrition has been proposed to improve perioperative recovery, but evidence remains limited, particularly in oral cancer surgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate postoperative weight changes, muscle status, complications, and hospital stay in patients with OSCC who received a perioperative immune-nutritional protocol.
Methods
We conducted a single-center prospective observational cohort study including 22 patients surgically treated for OSCC between January 2022 and January 2024. All patients received perioperative immunonutrition administered orally or via nasogastric tube at four timepoints (T0: preoperative; T1: immediate postoperative; T2: discharge; T3: 30 days). All patients underwent anthropometric measurements, muscle strength assessment, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (muscle mass, phase angle, and total body water). All evaluations were performed at each study timepoint.