Impact of Preoperative Nutritional Status on the Incidence Rate of Surgical Complications in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease With Vs Without Preoperative Biologic Therapy: A Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVES: A case-control study was undertaken to assess the impact of preoperative nutrition on surgical outcomes in patients with inflammatory bowel disease with vs without preoperative biologic therapy. METHODS: Seventy patients who had received biologic therapy within 8 weeks before undergoing resection for active ulcerative colitis (n = 34) or Crohn's disease (n = 36) were included (BIO group). The control group comprised 70 patients without exposure to biologics, selected based on 5 matching criteria: inflammatory bowel disease subtype (ulcerative colitis/Crohn's disease), age (<= or >40 years), disease severity (moderate/severe), surgical approach (open/laparoscopic), and main surgical procedure. Poor nutrition was defined as the presence of at least one of the following criteria: weight loss >10%-15% within 6 months, body mass index <18.5 kg/m(2), Subjective Global Assessment Grade C, or serum albumin <30 g/L. RESULTS: The proportion of patients with preoperative poor nutrition was 43% in the BIO and 33% in the control groups (P = 0.22). The incidence of postoperative infectious complications (anastomotic leak, introabdominal abscess, enterocutaneous fistula, or wound infection) was 16% in the BIO and 14% in the control groups (P = 0.81). In the BIO group, poor nutrition significantly increased the risk of infectious complications (27% vs 8% without poor nutrition, P = 0.03). In addition, in the control group, the incidence of infectious complications was higher in patients with poor nutrition, but not significantly (22% vs 11%, P = 0.21). DISCUSSION: Poor nutrition increases the risk of infectious complications after surgery. The detrimental effects of poor nutrition on postsurgical infection may be enhanced in patients who have received biologic therapy preoperatively.