Nutritional (High Protein) Perihabilitation in Older Veterans Undergoing Surgery
Nutritional (High Protein) Perihabilitation in Older Veterans Undergoing Surgery
This research study will be conducted in two parts. The first part will consist of selecting appropriate screening and assessment tools for Veterans undergoing elective surgery and identifying the number of Veterans who are malnourished and at risk of malnutrition. The second portion of the study will be to determine if a protein-enhanced diet before and after surgery will improve function and postoperative outcomes and compare the results to an education control group.
In year 1 of the two-part research study, an observational, prospective study of 75 Veterans preparing for elective surgery will be conducted. The purpose of this study will be to select appropriate nutrition screening and assessment tools and to employ them to characterize malnutrition prevalence and severity and establish cut-off values associated with malnutrition in this population. In years 2-5 of the research two-part research study, a pilot randomized controlled trial will be conducted. The purpose of this study will be evaluate the feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability of a perioperative protein-enhanced intervention compared to an educational control. Veterans who are malnourished or at risk of being malnourished will be randomly assigned on a 1:1 ratio to either an education (nutritional counseling) control or high-protein perihabilitation arm. Participants in the high-protein perihabilitation arm will be provided with 30 grams of high quality protein supplements three times per day. The study will take place two weeks prior to an elective abdominal or GI surgery and will continue 4 weeks post surgery.
Inclusion Criteria:
Elective abdominal surgery
Referred to the VA Perioperative Optimization of Senior Health Clinic
Able to record dietary intake or has a proxy who can record dietary intake
Exclusion Criteria: