Effect of Preoperative immune-enhancing Enteral Nutrition on the Outcomes of Laparoscopic Surgery for Colon Cancer in elderly Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: This study aims to explore the impact of immune-enhanced enteral nutrition on postoperative outcomes, focusing on inflammatory response, intestinal mucosal barrier integrity, and immune function following laparoscopic colon cancer surgery in elderly patients.

Methods: In this single-center, randomized controlled trial, ninety-six elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic resection of colon tumors were enrolled and equally divided into two groups by random allocation. The control group (n=48) received standard enteral nutrition, while the experimental group (n=46) was administered immune-enhancing enteral nutrition. We assessed and compared specific metrics such as nutritional status (e.g., albumin levels), cellular immune status (CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts), inflammatory markers (e.g., C-reactive protein), and indicators of intestinal mucosal barrier function (e.g., D-lactate levels) before and after the intervention in both groups.

Results: Initial comparison of baseline characteristics between the two groups showed no significant differences (P > .05). Postoperatively, the experimental group demonstrated significantly lower levels of inflammatory markers and an improved ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T-cells compared to the control group at day 7 (P < .05). Furthermore, nutritional status and markers indicative of intestinal mucosal barrier integrity were notably better in the experimental group at this time point.

Conclusion: Immune-enhanced enteral nutrition is effective in enhancing intestinal mucosal barrier function, boosting immune response, and improving nutritional status in elderly patients post-laparoscopic colon cancer surgery. It also contributes to mitigating the inflammatory response, proving its safety and tolerability for clinical use.