Preoperative Nutritional Status Influences Enteral Nutrition Weaning 6 Months Post-Surgery in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Objective: This study aimed to clarify whether nutritional status at admission affects enteral nutrition weaning 6 months after surgery in patients with esophageal cancer. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 81 patients who underwent subtotal esophageal cancer resection between April 2014 and February 2016. The survey items were as follows: 1) sex, 2) age, 3) presence or absence of family members living together, 4) clinical stage, 5) surgical procedure, 6) reconstructed organs, 7) nutritional status at admission, 8) presence or absence of postoperative complications (anastomotic leakage, chylothorax, and recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis), and 9) presence or absence of treatment other than surgery (chemo- or radiotherapy). Results: The enteral nutrition withdrawal rate after 6 months was 15.5% in the malnutrition group and 84.5% in the normal nutrition group (p = 0.007). In a comparison between groups with and without enteral nutrition after 6 months, a significant association was observed with surgical procedure, nutritional status at admission, and postoperative complications (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of discontinuing enteral nutrition 6 months later were 5.692 (hazard ratio: 1.545–20.962) for malnutrition on admission and 11.921 (hazard ratio: 3.449–41.207) for complications. Conclusion: Regardless of the presence or absence of treatment other than surgery, preoperative nutritional improvement is beneficial for increasing postoperative oral intake.