Early Nutritional Intervention in Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation

The nutritional supplements were provided in the form of ready-to-drink liquid solutions rich in protein and energy. Patients without diabetes received one 235 ml bottle per day of Ensure® Protéine Max (Abbott Nutrition, Montreal, Canada), which contained 350 kcal, 20 g of protein, 11 g of fat, 44 g of carbohydrates, 1.5 g of calcium-HMB and other essential micronutrients. Patients diagnosed with diabetes prior to LT received one 237 ml bottle per day of Boost® Diabetic (Nestlé, Montreal, Canada), which provided 190 kcal, 16 g of protein, 7 g of fat, 17 g of carbohydrates, and other essential micronutrients. Patients were instructed to consume the supplement in four equal doses of \~60 ml each, taken daily with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and as a bedtime snack, totaling one full bottle per day. The supplementation lasted for 12 weeks, beginning once solid oral feeding was initiated.