Abstract
It is almost unknown that there are some reports about bowel necrosis as one of the lethal complications related to postoperative early enteral nutrition. We report our experience about two cases of bowel necrosis associated with postoperative enteral nutrition. Patient 1, a 77-year-old woman with cancer of the duodenal papilla received pancreatoduodenectomy. On postoperative day (POD) 14 she underwent surgery for emergency massive bleeding from the portal vein. Then, 8 days from the emergency operation, enteral nutrition of semi-elemental formula was started via a trans-nasal jejunal feeding tube. At 14 days after the onset of enteral nutrition, she was given a diagnosis of bowel necrosis, and massive enterectomy was performed. Patient 2 was a 79-year-old woman who had undergone resection for gastric cancer. We then performed total gastrectomy. Enteral nutrition via a transnasal jejunal feeding tube was started on POD 4. On POD 6, bowel necrosis was diagnosed, and massive enterectomy was performed. Both cases survived their critical states and were discharged. Bowel necrosis associated with enteral nutrition after abdominal surgery has been reported in Western countries. We report our experience and the results of our literature search of past related papers.
