Combination of preoperative pulmonary and nutritional preparation for esophagectomy

Purpose: To compare pulmonary and nutritional parameters before and after inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and enteral feeding support in patients with esophageal disease undergoing preoperative outpatient follow-up. Methods: Thirty patients with a mean age of 55.83 years, 16 men and 14 women, were included. Pulmonary assessment consisted of the measurement of MIP, MEP, and spirometry. Anthropometric measurements and laboratory tests were performed for nutritional assessment. After preoperative evaluation, inspiratory muscle training and enteral nutrition support were started. A p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: After an outpatient follow-up period of 4 weeks, a significant increase in MIP (-62.20 ± 25.78 to -81.53 ± 23.09), MEP (73.4 ± 31.95 to 90.33 ± 28.39), and FVC (94.86 ± 16.77 to 98.56 ± 17.44) was observed. Regarding the anthropometric variables, a significant increase was also observed in BMI (20.18 ± 5.04 to 20.40 ± 4.69), arm circumference (23.38 ± 3.28 to 25.08 ± 4.55), arm muscle circumference (21.48 ± 3.00 to 22.07 ± 3.36), and triceps skinfold thickness (5.62 ± 2.68 to 8.33 ± 6.59). Conclusion: Pulmonary and nutritional preparation can improve respiratory muscle strength, FVC and anthropometric parameters. However, further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this preoperative preparation.