• Carla Aeberhard, Catherine Mayer, Simone Meyer, Simon Andreas Mueller, Philipp Schuetz, Zeno Stanga, and Roland Giger.
• Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
• Head Neck. 2018 May 1; 40 (5): 1057-1067.

BackgroundPatients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) often acquire an impaired nutritional status resulting in compromised outcomes. Perioperative immunonutrition may have a positive effect on outcomes after elective surgery.MethodsShort-term outcomes before and after implementation of preoperative immunonutrition were retrospectively assessed. Regression models adjusted for outcome predictors were used to compare the length of stay (LOS) in the hospital, local infections, and general complications.ResultsFour hundred eleven patients were included (control group = 209 and the intervention group = 202). With immunonutrition, hospital LOS was significantly lower (median 6 vs 8 days; adjusted mean difference of -5.65 days; P < .001) and local infections were significantly reduced (7.4% vs 15.3%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.30; P = .006). Subgroup analysis showed more pronounced effects in patients with previous radiotherapy and extensive surgery.ConclusionPatients receiving preoperative immunonutrition had a shorter hospital LOS and a lower rate for wound infections and local complications. These effects remained robust after a multivariate adjustment.© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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