Safety and patient's satisfaction of preoperative carbohydrate drink until 2 hours before colorectal cancer surgery: a single-center, prospective randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Traditionally, fasting from midnight has been a standard practice in elective surgery for reduce the risk of aspiration. However, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs recommend clear fluid intake until 2 hours before anesthesia. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and patient satisfaction of preoperative carbohydrate drink intake until 2 hours before colorectal cancer surgery.

Methods: Sixty patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery between April 2021 and February 2023 at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center were enrolled. This study included 30 patients who fasted from midnight (nothing by mouth [NPO] group) and 30 patients who consumed a high concentration of complex carbohydrate fluids (New Care NO-NPO) until 2 hours before surgery (No-NPO group). Patient satisfaction was assessed using a visual analog scale. Perioperative and postoperative outcomes were compared.

Results: Basic characteristics of patients were similar for the 2 groups. The No-NPO group had a significantly higher patient satisfaction score than the NPO group (3.7 vs. 2.2, P=0.040). Scores of operative difficulty, operation time, blood loss, postoperative recovery parameters, and postoperative complication rates were similar for the 2 groups. Pathological outcomes were also comparable. No mortality occurred in either group.

Conclusion: High-concentration carbohydrate fluid intake until 2 hours before induction of anesthesia could improve patient satisfaction without increasing postoperative complications, demonstrating its safety and feasibility in colorectal cancer surgery. Trial registration CRIS (cris.nih.go.kr) identifier: KCT0011323.