The impact of immunonutrition on pancreaticoduodenectomy outcomes

Background: Malnutrition is a significant risk factor for decreased survival in cancer patients undergoing a pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Our study aims to investigate the impact of immunonutrition on length of stay (LOS), infection rates, postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), and delayed gastric emptying (DGE). Study design: This study retrospectively reviewed 344 patients who underwent PD between 2007 and 2018. Patients were on a regular diet or 5 days of preoperative immunonutrition. Statistical analyses were done via t-test and chi-square test with a significance cutoff of p < 0.05. Results: Immunonutrition was associated with increased intraabdominal infection (13% vs. 23%, p = 0.021), POPF (6% vs. 19%, p = 0.001), and decreased DGE (17% vs. 8%, p = 0.013). When patients were stratified by pathology, immunonutrition was not associated with POPF or infection rates in the pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) group. In the non-PDAC group, immunonutrition was associated with longer LOS (12.4 vs. 9.9 days, p = 0.02) and higher rates of intraabdominal infection (26% vs. 10%, p = 0.02) compared to the regular diet group. Conclusion: In PDAC patients undergoing PD, preoperative immunonutrition did not have an impact on LOS, infections, POPF, or DGE. In non-PDAC patients, immunonutrition was associated with longer LOS and higher intraabdominal infections.