Nutritional Assessment Project In Surgical Patients Focused On Body Composition And Functionality

Current nutritional diagnostic tools have serious limitations in certain groups of patients such as colon or ovarian cancer with high rates of overweight and obesity in which traditional anthropometric assessment is limited with underdiagnosis of malnutrition and possible effect on therapeutic toxicity and other complications.

The objective of the project is to establish a comprehensive nutritional assessment in surgical patients assessed in intensified recovery programs in Surgery at a national level, including new techniques aimed at measuring muscular and functional affection in order to make a more precise diagnosis and a better prediction of complications and morbidity and mortality.

In this group of patients with moderate or severe malnutrition, it is important to evaluate new techniques aimed at nutritional assessment with assessment tools focused on the morpho-functional diagnosis of malnutrition.

From a scientific point of view, the following nutritional assessment techniques are being incorporated:

1- BIOIMPEDANCIOMETRY: Non-invasive technique, relatively inexpensive and easily transportable. 2- MUSCLE ULTRASOUND: The application of ultrasound for the morphological and structural study of muscle mass is an emerging technique.