Objective：To observe the effect of enteral nutrition with marine collagen oligopeptide on plasma protein and complications in postoperative patients with esophageal cancer. MethodsAccording to the inclusive and exclusive standard, 120 patients with esophageal cancer were randomized into study group and control group, with 60 cases in each group. Patients were given early enteral nutritional support within 24 hours after the operation. The study group patients were given with enteral nutrient solution with the marine collagen oligopeptide 6g, Tid, to replace part of the protein supply, and the control group patients were
given with enteral nutrient solution without the marine collagen oligopeptide. Both groups were prepared with the same energy and protein supply standards. The effect was evaluated with the plasma albumin and prealbumin on the 7th postoperative day, incidence of pulmonary infection and anastomotic fistula, body weight loss and length of hospital stay. ResultsIn both groups, on the 7th postoperative day, the plasma albumin and prealbumin levels were lower than the preoperative (both P<0.05); the plasma albumin and prealbumin of the study group were higher than the control group on the 7th postoperative day (both P<0.05), the study group had lower incidence of pulmonary infection than the control group (P<0.05), no significant differences about the incidence of anastomotic fistula were observed between two groups (P>0.05), the weight of the patients in both groups decreased compared with that before operation (both P<0.05), the body mass loss were no significant differences between two groups (P>0.05), the study group had shorter length of hospital stay than the control group (P<0.05). ConclusionsThe enteral nutrient solution with the marine collagen oligopeptide were effective in maintaining the plasma protein, reducing the incidence of pulmonary infection and shortening the time of hospitalization for the patients after esophagectomy.