Study: Preoperative nutrition program reduces surgical complications, costs

Editor's Note

A system-wide preoperative nutrition program resulted in shorter hospital stays and fewer postoperative complications across the Allegheny Health Network, according to a study presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2024. Medical Xpress reported the news October 18.

According to the article, researchers analyzed data from 4,078 surgical cases across eight specialties. They found that the nutrition program reduced hospital stays by an average of 18% and decreased complications by 33%. These improvements equated to a total reduction of 2,699 hospital days and 865 outlier days.

The program’s nutrition bundles include immunonutrition shakes containing omega-3 fatty acids and arginine to boost immune health and support surgical recovery. As for financial impact, “The study projected the total health care utilization cost for the analyzed procedures to be approximately $130.9 million,” , Medical Xpress reports. “Implementing the preoperative nutrition program, which costs about $244,680 annually (4,078 patients at $60 per nutrition bundle), resulted in an estimated total savings of $7.8 million annually for the payer/insurance sector.”

Originally used primarily for cancer patients, preoperative nutrition could be expanded to a broader surgical population to enhance patient outcomes and optimize healthcare resource use, researchers write.