Perioperative Parenteral Nutrition in Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Review of the Literature

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition with numerous nutrition implications, including an increased risk of malnutrition and various nutrient deficiencies. Surgical interventions are often necessary in the treatment of IBD, and patients with IBD presenting for surgery often have multiple issues, including acute inflammatory processes, malnutrition, anemia, and infections, which may increase the likelihood of poor surgical outcomes. Thus, determining adjunctive treatments that may decrease postoperative complications is paramount. Although enteral nutrition (EN) is considered the preferred nutrition support modality when the gastrointestinal tract is accessible and functional, parenteral nutrition (PN) may provide a suitable alternative when the use of EN is not feasible. The aim of this review is to evaluate the currently available literature on the impact of perioperative PN on postoperative complications, disease severity, and nutrition status in adults with IBD. Six studies within the past 10 years investigated this topic and are analyzed here. Results indicate general trends toward improvements in postoperative outcomes, disease severity, and nutrition status associated with perioperative PN use. Although results appear promising, additional, larger studies with an emphasis on PN composition will improve our understanding of the benefits of perioperative PN in adults with IBD.