Role of nutrition in oral and maxillofacial surgery patients
Answers
Answered by
0
Diet, nutrition, and dental health are closely related and have multidirectional impacts. Any oral diseases, may it be congenital, infective, traumatic, inflammatory, or neoplastic, affect routine functions of the oral cavity and even after corrective surgeries done to improve may adversely affect the food and fluid intake and further compromises nutritional status. Unlike other general surgeries, the surgeries done in oral and maxillofacial region impairs normal food intake, especially by mouth which is the preferred commonly used route. This oral cavity being harbored by multiple organisms makes it prone to further infection which again hampers the healing. Oral surgeries include the dentoalveolar region for the treatment of fracture or prosthetic reasons, for maxillofacial trauma, orthognathic surgeries, tumors, cleft lip and palate correction, etc., Nutrition plays a major role in the postoperative recovery and healing. Malnutrition in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) patients increases the postoperative morbidity and mortality rate. Nutrition in jaw fractures treated with intermaxillary fixation is more compromised. Healing is impaired in malnourished, critically ill, elderly, and patients with prolonged stay in hospital and hence nutrition in the form of enteral, parenteral, and oral sip feeding plays a major role in providing nutritional care. Preoperative nutrition and perioperative nutrition influence the postoperative outcome and hence metabolic and nutritional care is important for the uneventful healing. This article provides a basic review of the role of nutrition in the postoperative outcome of OMFS patients based on the search through articles in journal and internet.
Keywords: Malnutrition, nutritional assessment, postoperative morbidity, wound healing
Introduction
Nutrition is defined as the science of how the body utilizes food to meet requirements for development, growth, repair, and maintenance. Nutrition is major determinants of health status exerting the “womb to tomb” effect which mediates the course of various health outcomes. Each nutrient has a specific role in maintaining the integrity of the oral tissues. Basic nutrients are carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water needed for all to survive and live a healthy life and to heal well. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fatty acids are the chief sources of energy. The body requires an adequate supply of carbohydrates to prevent protein catabolism and fatty acid metabolism.[1,2,3,4]
Total calories stored is 200,000 kcal for a 75 kg man and only if 140,000 kcal is burnt death occurs. This means that man can survive till 3–5 months the energy which is provided by 75% fat and 50% protein during starvation.[5]
Malnutrition and Wound healing
The world faces only two extremes of disease associated with diet: One is malnutrition and other obesity. Incorrect diet leads to oral disease which in turn again impairs food intake and compromises health. Both pediatric and geriatric population are susceptible to malnutrition.[4]
Patients undergoing surgical procedures require protein source needed for cellular proliferation and repair and energy. Alternatively, excess glucose is not useful as it results in decreased leukocyte function, dehydration, and metabolic acidosis. Bone healing is the major prognostic factor in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and protein plays a vital role in fracture repair. Severely malnourished patients demonstrate delayed wound healing and impaired wound contraction. A malnourished patient has increased susceptibility toward infection and all this lead to a prolonged rehabilitative period. When the food intake is less, it results in loss of fat, muscle, skin, and ultimately bone and viscera, with subsequent weight loss, and expansion of the extracellular fluid compartment.
Keywords: Malnutrition, nutritional assessment, postoperative morbidity, wound healing
Introduction
Nutrition is defined as the science of how the body utilizes food to meet requirements for development, growth, repair, and maintenance. Nutrition is major determinants of health status exerting the “womb to tomb” effect which mediates the course of various health outcomes. Each nutrient has a specific role in maintaining the integrity of the oral tissues. Basic nutrients are carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water needed for all to survive and live a healthy life and to heal well. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fatty acids are the chief sources of energy. The body requires an adequate supply of carbohydrates to prevent protein catabolism and fatty acid metabolism.[1,2,3,4]
Total calories stored is 200,000 kcal for a 75 kg man and only if 140,000 kcal is burnt death occurs. This means that man can survive till 3–5 months the energy which is provided by 75% fat and 50% protein during starvation.[5]
Malnutrition and Wound healing
The world faces only two extremes of disease associated with diet: One is malnutrition and other obesity. Incorrect diet leads to oral disease which in turn again impairs food intake and compromises health. Both pediatric and geriatric population are susceptible to malnutrition.[4]
Patients undergoing surgical procedures require protein source needed for cellular proliferation and repair and energy. Alternatively, excess glucose is not useful as it results in decreased leukocyte function, dehydration, and metabolic acidosis. Bone healing is the major prognostic factor in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and protein plays a vital role in fracture repair. Severely malnourished patients demonstrate delayed wound healing and impaired wound contraction. A malnourished patient has increased susceptibility toward infection and all this lead to a prolonged rehabilitative period. When the food intake is less, it results in loss of fat, muscle, skin, and ultimately bone and viscera, with subsequent weight loss, and expansion of the extracellular fluid compartment.
Similar questions