Abstract

Objective: Appropriate nutritional support has positive effects on both the growth and morbidity of patients who have undergone surgery due to congenital heart disease during their neonatal period. The aims of this study were to determine enteral feeding characteristics throughout the post-operative period, to define difficulties and obstacles in oral feeding, and to establish dietary guidelines based on the acquired data.

Methods: From January 2012 to December 2014, 87 patients were retrospectively evaluated. All patients were diagnosed with transposition of the great arteries and were operated on during their neonatal periods. The median age of the cases was 9.37±5.73 5.73 days (3-30 days). Pre-operative, intraoperative, and post-operative parameters were recorded.

Results: During the intensive care unit stay, factors that delayed the transition to full enteral feeding or resulted in the discontinuation of feeding were identified. Enteral feeding was applicable to all patients within the first 24 h. Full enteral feeding was achieved at a median of 3.3 days. Gastric residual was observed in 63.2% of the patients; this was considered to be one of the major reasons for stopping feeding. In patients with gastric residual, transition to full enteral feeding was delayed, and the frequency of interruption and discontinuation of feeding increased. It was observed that patients with feeding discontinuations had longer periods of transition to full enteral feeding.

Conclusion: It is believed that early post-operative enteral feeding contributes to shortening the hospitalization stay, to providing discharge without the requirement of feeding support, and to reducing post-discharge homecare feeding difficulties.