Effect of Post-Discharge Oral Nutritional Supplements on Nutritional Status in Patients after Gastrectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

TL;DR

Oral nutritional supplements after hospital discharge reduce body-weight loss following gastrectomy for gastric cancer without significant safety concerns. Benefits are most evident in the first 8–12 weeks post-discharge; longer-term durability remains unclear.

Key findings

• ONS reduced absolute body-weight loss by 0.75 kg (95% CI: 0.11–1.40) and percentage body-weight loss by 1.42 (95% CI: 0.78–2.07) versus control
• No significant differences between ONS and control groups for body composition, handgrip strength, or laboratory markers
• Adverse-event incidence was comparable between groups (RR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.92–1.49), suggesting acceptable safety profile
• Evidence quality limited by small trial numbers, heterogeneity in primary outcome, and assessment period restricted to 8 weeks–3 months

Why this matters at the bedside

Provides guidance on post-gastrectomy nutritional management; suggests ONS may mitigate early weight loss during critical recovery phase, though longer-term efficacy and durability of functional gains remain to be established.