Features of nutrition selection in patients after reconstructive surgery in the maxillofacial region

Abstract

Objective. To compare the clinical effectiveness of different alternative nutritional support methods in hospitalized patients after surgical treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer and to assess their practical applicability. Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of 62 patients with malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity and oropharynx treated between 2020 and 2025. All patients had histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma. Depending on the method of nutritional support, patients were divided into three groups: enteral feeding via nasogastric tube (n = 32), gastrostomy (n = 20), and parenteral nutrition (n = 10). Body mass index (BMI) was monitored at different stages of treatment and follow-up; time to recovery of oral intake and the incidence of complications were assessed. Results. The most favorable BMI dynamics were observed in the nasogastric tube enteral feeding group: 80% of patients showed no decrease in body weight, and restoration of natural oral intake occurred after a mean of 14 days. In the gastrostomy group, BMI reduction was detected in 50% of patients; the mean time to recovery of oral intake was 21±3 days, and some patients required surgical stoma closure. The poorest stabilization of nutritional status was observed in the parenteral nutrition group, where BMI reduction was recorded in 70% of patients. Conclusions. Enteral nutrition via a nasogastric tube demonstrated the highest effectiveness in maintaining nutritional status and was associated with shorter recovery time of natural oral intake compared with gastrostomy and parenteral nutrition. The findings support the preferential use of nasogastric tube feeding and commercially prepared specialized formulas in the postoperative management of patients with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.