Introduction:

Enhanced or fast-track recovery protocols, nowadays, constitute a fundamental link when it comes to improving the quality of perioperative care provided to patients for reducing the incidence of complications. A fundamental section in them is related to the evaluation, optimization and timely nutritional support.

Objective:

To demonstrate the importance of adequate evaluation and timely perioperative nutritional support in patients scheduled for cardiac surgical procedures.

Methods:

We carried out a review of the literature related to the subject.

Development:

Malnutrition is one of the most important problems, as evidenced by a series of publications dating from 1976 to date. The evaluation of nutritional status must be carried out throughout the perioperative period. In its different phases, a series of risk factors are described and, when present, require the introduction of early and intensive parenteral and/or enteral nutritional support.

Conclusions:

The evaluation and preoperative optimization of the nutritional status is vital for an adequate perioperative evolution of patients, so it must be an indispensable part of the anesthesiological consultation. Nutritional support should be established early once the risk indicators have been identified, in order to reduce the incidence of perioperative complications.

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