Early Oral Feeding Following Thoracolaparoscopic Oesophagectomy in Patients With Esophageal Cancer

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of early oral food intake postoperatively in patients with thoracolaparoscopic esophagectomy. More and more evidence confirmed the role of early early enteral nutrition (NE) after esophagectomy in patients with esophageal cancer. Although enteral catheter feeding has been shown to be beneficial in patients with esophagectomy, the preference for this modality also rests on the traditional but undocumented reluctance to allow food at will. These assumed hazards of allowing normal food in the immediate postoperative period have not been scientifically tested and should be viewed against both the benefits and side effects of any artificial feeding modality. Whether early oral feeding after esophagectomy affects the incidence of life-threatening surgical complications, shortens the recovery time of bowel function and the postoperative hospital stay, improves postoperative quality of life in comparison with artificial feeding modality remains unclear. The investigators compared a routine of allowing liquid food at will from the first day after surgery with a routine of nil-by-mouth and enteral nutrition for the first 7 postoperative days. The main endpoint is the incidence rate of complications.