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Kristoffer Lassen

Publications and source records attributed to Kristoffer Lassen.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Early oral nutrition after major upper gastrointestinal surgery: why not?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To examine the available documentation addressing the introduction of early food after major upper gastrointestinal surgery. RECENT FINDINGS: No high-quality trials, recent or old, have addressed this topic. A few attempts have been identified. Information is extracted from papers discussing other topics of postoperative care in this field. Generally, nasogastric tubes and nil-by-mouth prevail in the early postoperative period. SUMMARY: The reluctance to allow early food at will is not evidence based, but neither is the safety of an alternative regimen. Early food at will should probably be allowed after hepatic resections, gastric resections, and total gastrectomies and maybe also after pancreaticoduodenectomies. Resections of the esophagus remain the most challenging issue. The need is urgent for high-powered and high-quality randomized controlled clinical trials.

Enteral Nutrition↗
PubMed2005

Nutritional support and oral intake after gastric resection in five northern European countries.

BACKGROUND: A comprehensive evidence base for perioperative care in upper gastrointestinal (GI) surgery is lacking. Little is known about the routines currently practiced in the absence of such evidence. We describe postoperative practice after gastric resections in five northern European countries. METHOD AND SETTING: Questionnaire survey in all major digestive surgical centres in Scotland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. RESULTS: 76% of all centres (n = 200/263) responded. Routines varied extensively both nationally and between countries. No uniformity was traced although a conservative trend was noticeable in the use of nasogastric decompression tubes and 'nil-by-mouth' regimens. Nutritional support during the first 5 days is generally offered in Denmark, but not in Scotland. Drinking at will is generally allowed in Denmark and Norway by the first postoperative day. Eating at will is uniformly restricted. CONCLUSION: The paucity of evidence is reflected by the marked heterogeneity in practice. Large groups of patients may be treated suboptimally. Best perioperative care for these patients must be defined and documented. Especially, the role of early oral intake at will in upper GI surgery needs to be clarified by sufficiently powered trials.

Denmark↗
PubMed2005

A comparison in five European Centres of case mix, clinical management and outcomes following either conventional or fast-track perioperative care in colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: This study reviewed the case mix, clinical management, and clinical outcomes of patients undergoing colorectal resection in five European centres performing different forms of conventional or 'fast-track' perioperative care. METHODS: The perioperative care programme and surgical practice in each centre was defined. Patient data were collected by case-note review on an internet-based audit system. Case mix was determined using ASA classification and the P-POSSUM scoring system. RESULTS: A total of 451 consecutive patients from units practicing either conventional (Sweden, n=109; UK, n=87; Netherlands, n=76, Norway, n=61) or fast-track surgery (Denmark, n=118), were studied between 1998 and 2001. Elements of perioperative practice varied widely both between units practicing 'traditional' care and the reference 'fast-track' unit (Denmark). Based on the P-POSSUM scores, the case mix was similar between centres. There were no differences in morbidity or 30-day mortality between the different centres. The median length of stay was 2 days in Denmark and 7-9 days in the other centres (P<0.05). The readmission rate was 22% in Denmark and 2-16% in the other centres (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with traditional care, fast-track perioperative care results in a reduced length of hospital stay but may be associated with a higher readmission rate. Morbidity and mortality appears to be similar with either approach. Prospective evaluation of the potential benefits of the fast-track approach in different European centres is merited.

Aged↗