Is perioperative fasting associated with complications, length of hospital stay and mortality among gastric and colorectal cancer patients? A cohort study.

Background: During a surgical procedure, patients are often subjected to fasting for times that are more prolonged than the ideal, which may lead to complications.

Objective: To evaluate the duration of perioperative fasting and its association with postoperative complications, length of hospital stay (LOS) and mortality among gastric and colorectal cancer patients.

Design And Setting: Cohort study developed in a surgical oncology hospital in the city of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil).