Evaluating the Impact of Preoperative Nutritional Status on Surgical Outcomes and Public Health Implications in General Surgery Patients.

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is linked to more postoperative problems, a longer recovery period, and a higher death rate; preoperative nutritional condition is a critical factor in surgical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of preoperative nutritional status on surgical outcomes in general surgery patients and explore its broader public health implications.

METHODOLOGY: A two-year observational research with 440 adult patients undergoing general surgery was carried out between January 2022 and December 2023. Based on preoperative nutritional tests, such as Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002), Body Mass Index (BMI), and blood albumin levels, participants were divided into two groups: nutritionally sufficient and nutritionally compromised. Postoperative problems, such as infections, wound healing, duration of hospital stay, readmissions, and 30-day mortality, were examined in the data.

RESULTS

Nutritionally compromised patients exhibited significantly worse outcomes, including higher rates of postoperative infections (80 out of 220, 36.36% vs. 30 out of 220, 13.64%), delayed wound healing (50 out of 220, 22.73% vs. 20 out of 220, 9.09%), longer hospital stays (9.87 ± 3.58 vs. 6.53 ± 2.31 days), increased readmission rates (40 out of 220, 18.18% vs. 10 out of 220, 4.55%), and higher 30-day mortality (25 out of 220, 11.36% vs. 5 out of 220, 2.27%) compared to the nutritionally adequate group. Long-term follow-up showed persistent differences in infection rates and wound healing, supporting the prolonged impact of poor nutritional status.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative malnutrition significantly affects surgical outcomes, emphasizing the importance of nutritional optimization in preoperative care to enhance recovery and minimize complications.