Effect of Preoperative Carbohydrate Loading on Serum Lactate Levels in Patients Undergoing Donor Hepatectomy

July 20, 2026 updated by: Mian Usman Hameed, Shifa International Hospital

Effect of Preoperative Carbohydrate Loading on Perioperative Serum Lactate Levels in Patients Undergoing Donor Hepatectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial investigated whether preoperative carbohydrate loading reduces perioperative serum lactate levels in patients undergoing donor hepatectomy. Participants were randomized into two groups: an intervention group receiving a standardized oral carbohydrate drink 2-4 hours before surgery, and a control group undergoing standard preoperative fasting. Serum lactate levels were measured at five perioperative time points: induction of anaesthesia, before graft removal, 30 minutes after graft removal, before extubation, and in the post-anaesthesia care unit. The study aimed to determine whether this simple nutritional intervention could improve metabolic preparedness and reduce anaerobic stress in living liver donors.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Prolonged preoperative fasting induces peripheral insulin resistance, glycogen depletion, and a catabolic metabolic state that predisposes patients to anaerobic metabolism during major surgery. Donor hepatectomy is a physiologically demanding procedure associated with significant ischaemia-reperfusion stress and an inherent risk of perioperative lactate accumulation.

Preoperative carbohydrate loading has been proposed as a simple nutritional intervention to attenuate fasting-related metabolic stress by preserving glycogen stores and improving insulin sensitivity. However, its specific effect on serum lactate levels in living liver donors undergoing donor hepatectomy remains underexplored.

This prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Department of Anaesthesiology, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad. Seventy adult patients aged 18-50 years scheduled for elective donor hepatectomy were enrolled and randomized into two equal groups. The intervention group received a standardized oral carbohydrate drink (maltodextrin solution) 2-4 hours before surgery, while the control group underwent standard preoperative fasting. Serum lactate levels were measured at five perioperative time points. Between-group comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, and temporal trends were assessed using repeated measures ANOVA.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

70

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Federal
      • Islamabad, Federal, Pakistan, 44000
        • Shifa International hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 to 50 years Either gender Scheduled for elective donor hepatectomy

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known metabolic disorders Pre-existing liver dysfunction

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention Group
Participants received a standardized oral carbohydrate drink (maltodextrin solution) 2-4 hours before induction of anaesthesia
Dietary supplement: Preoperative Carbohydrate Loading
Standardized oral carbohydrate drink (maltodextrin solution) administered 2-4 hours prior to induction of anaesthesia
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants underwent standard preoperative fasting protocol without carbohydrate loading

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Perioperative Serum Lactate Level
Time Frame: From induction of anaesthesia through to PACU (approximately 6-8 hours)
Serum lactate measured in mmol/L at five perioperative time points: induction of anaesthesia, before graft removal, 30 minutes post graft removal, before extubation, and in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU)
From induction of anaesthesia through to PACU (approximately 6-8 hours)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Shifa International Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

December 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

August 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 20, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 20, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRB 479-24

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Serum Lactate

Clinical Trials on Preoperative Carbohydrate Loading

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Azerbaijan

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe