Feeding the Fight: Can Long-Term Oral Nutrition Reduce Surgical Complications?

Background Malnutrition is a common and detrimental condition in patients with advanced gastric cancer undergoing neoadjuvant therapy. This study aims to evaluate the impact of preoperative long term oral enteral nutrition support on postoperative outcomes in these patients. Methods Between 2023 and 2024, 100 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer were retrospectively analyzed. Fifty patients received preoperative oral nutritional support during neoadjuvant therapy, while 50 served as controls. Nutritional status was assessed using the Prognostic Nutrition Index (PNI). Primary outcomes included postoperative complications, hospital length of stay, and anastomotic leakage. Results The study group had a significantly shorter hospital stay (8.9 vs. 15 days, p  < 0.001) and no cases of anastomotic leakage compared to the control group (0% vs. 10%, p  < 0.001). There were no significant differences between groups regarding total complication rates (36% vs. 32%, p  = 0.65) or other major complications. A greater decrease in PNI was observed in the control group, although this was not statistically significant. Conclusion In patients with advanced gastric cancer, preoperative oral enteral nutrition support during neoadjuvant therapy was associated with a shorter hospital stay and a lower rate of anastomotic leakage. While these findings are encouraging, they should be interpreted with caution due to the retrospective, non-randomised design of the study. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results and support the integration of structured nutritional protocols into clinical guidelines.