Role of total parenteral nutrition in the treatment of complications following surgery for morbid obesity.

Although morbidly obese patients are assumed to be overnourished, they require the same intake of nitrogen postoperatively as other patients to achieve anabolism and to spare endogenous protein. Total parenteral nutrition was employed in six morbidly obese patients with complications following gastric partitioning that precluded oral intake and was considered essential to their recovery.