Impact of Preoperative Malnutrition on Postoperative Recovery among Children Undergoing Abdominal Surgery
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61561/ssbgjms.v7i03.161Keywords:
Malnutrition, Abdominal Surgery, Postoperative RecoveryAbstract
Background: Preoperative malnutrition is an important concern among children undergoing abdominal surgery, as it may impair wound healing, increase postoperative complications, delay recovery, and prolong hospital stay. This study aimed to assess the impact of preoperative malnutrition on postoperative recovery among children undergoing abdominal surgery.
Methods: This prospective observational cohort study was conducted among pediatric patients undergoing surgery in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, Shin-Shin Japan Hospital, Department of General Surgery at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, Bangladesh, from January 2025 to December 2025. The study population comprised 104 children aged 0–12 years undergoing emergency or elective surgical procedures. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.
Results: Among 104 pediatric surgical patients, 45.2% had preoperative malnutrition, including 26.9% with moderate and 18.3% with severe malnutrition. Malnutrition was significantly associated with longer operative duration (p = 0.010). Compared with children with normal nutritional status, malnourished children had significantly higher rates of postoperative complications (38.3% vs. 19.3%), delayed feeding (51.1% vs. 22.8%), delayed wound healing (25.5% vs. 10.5%), and hospital stay exceeding seven days (53.2% vs. 28.1%). Their mean hospital stay was also significantly longer (7.2 ± 3.1 vs. 5.8 ± 2.6 days; p = 0.016), whereas the difference in surgical-site infection was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: Preoperative malnutrition was prevalent among children undergoing surgery and was significantly associated with increased postoperative complications, delayed initiation of feeding, impaired wound healing, and prolonged hospitalization. Children with malnutrition also experienced a longer average hospital stay than those with normal nutritional status. However, the difference in surgical-site infection rates between the two groups was not statistically significant.
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