A Comparison between Mechanical Preparation and Elemental Diet for Preoperative Preparation of the Colon

Abstract

Although mechanical bowel preparation with antibiotic administration prior to elective colonic surgery has been done occasionally, the effects have not been satisfactory. However, because an elemental diet (ED) is known to be resorbed in the upper intestine and to be bulk-free, several surgeons have recently reported its usefulness for preoperative preparation of the colon. Of 283 cases of colorectal carcinoma operated on over a period of 12 years from 1970 to 1981, we selected 54 pairs for a mechanical preparation group and on ED matched for age, sex and site of carcinoma. We performed statistical analysis of the incidence of colonic dehiscence and postoperative wound infection.
The ED group was associated with a significantly lower rate as compared with the menchanical preparation group. No statistical difference was revealed between the two groups in the incidence of wound infection after abdominoperineal resection and in anastomotic dehiscence. We therefore recommend ED as a means of preoperative bowel preparation.