Dan Linetzky Waitzberg, H.P. Trevenzol, B. Zilberstein, F.A.S. Penhavel, L. Alves, J. Gama Rodrigues
Chagasic megaesophagus is a chronic disease that courses with progressive dysphagia, regurgitation and protein-calorie malnutrition. Advanced or recurrent megaesophagus can be treated with Serra Dória¿s operation (cardioplasty, partial gastrectomy and gastrojejunal Roux-en-Y anastomosis). A nutritional evaluation was performed on 27 patients(mean age 58 ± 10 years) with chagasic megaesophagus at admission and after postoperative day 90. The nutritional state was assessed through global subjective nutritional evaluation (GSNE), anthropometry and la-boratorial exams, besides the analysis of alimentary in-take.
In the preoperative period, GSNE pointed to malnutrition in 2/3 patients, while the anthropometric and laboratorial evaluation revealed that over 60% of the patients had proteincalorie malnutrition of the marasmic type. The preoperative nutritional state as evaluated by GSNE did not correlate with complications or postoperative mortality. The postoperative evaluation showed an increase in the intake of proteins, recovery in the body mass index and a reduction in the hemoglobin levels of the peripheral blood.