The role of probiotics in gastrointestinal surgery

The intestinal microbiota, which is a complex and dynamic population of different bacterial species, represents an important contribution to the health of the host. This microbiota plays a key role by promoting the integrity of the epithelial barrier and the development of mucosal immunity. However, under some stressful situations, such as after gastrointestinal surgery, infectious complications may originate from the intestinal microbiota of the patient. This phenomenon is known as the gut origin of sepsis hypothesis. However, the supply of probiotics has beneficial effects under similar conditions despite some controversial results. Therefore, it is important to carefully assess the efficacy of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of complications in surgical patients and to evaluate the safety of its use. This review provides an overview of the proposed mechanisms of probiotic action and the significant progress in this field, mainly concerning gastrointestinal surgery. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.