Background: Understanding early oral feeding (EOF) benefits among post colon cancer surgery patients is essential, as it allows surgeons to decrease the incidence of dangerous complications.
Objective: The aim of the current work was to prove that early enteral feeding is safe with little incidence of complications like fecal fistula.
Subjects and Methods: At General Surgery Department, Zagazig University Hospitals, 18 patients underwent urgent and elective colonic cancer surgery. The patients were randomly allocated by the closed envelop technique after completion of surgery into 2 groups: Group (A): consisted of 18 patients who followed early postoperative oral feeding protocol with oral fluids the first day after surgery and progressed to a normal diet within the next 24 to 48 hours, as tolerated with no leakage. Group (B): consisted of the same 18 patients who followed post-operative early oral feeding with anastomosis leakage.
Results: early post-operative feeding after colonic resection anastomosis was tolerated in 80.8% of patients. Also, there was no affection for the nutritional status. Also, the study revealed safety of early oral feeding in the recently performed anastomosis even in emergency situations as there was no increase in morbidity. In group research, those who were given solid foods as soon as they were able after surgery had a much shorter hospital stay (median of 4 days)., while among group (B) Complications after surgery led to a 10-day hospital stay as the average length of care.
Conclusion: Early post-operative feeding is safe and tolerable after colorectal surgery.