Meta-Analysis of Structured Triglyceride versus Physical Mixture Medium- and Long-Chain Triglycerides for PN in Liver Resection Patients

BACKGROUND: The use of total parenteral nutrition can affect liver function, causing a series of problems such as cholestasis. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare structured triglyceride- (STG-) based lipid emulsions with physical medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)/long-chain triglyceride (LCT) mixtures in patients who had undergone liver surgery to identify any differences between these two types of parenteral nutrition. METHODS: We searched the databases of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Chinese Biomedicine Database from January 2007 to March 2017 and included studies that compared STG-based lipid emulsions with physical MCT/LCT mixtures for surgical patients with liver disease. CONCLUSION: The STG was more beneficial than physical MCT/LCT on recovery of liver function and immune function. Therefore, STGs may represent a promising alternative to other types of lipid emulsions for hepatic surgery patients.