Authors' reply

Abstract
EDITOR,—As we did not measure intestinal permeability postoperatively before day 5 we cannot exclude the possibility that a rise occurred. Nevertheless, the striking difference at day 5 between the patients managed conventionally and those fed enterally is surely noteworthy. S M Gabe and D B A Silk's figure shows that intestinal permeability had normalised by day 6 in their series of six patients in an intensive therapy unit. The authors …

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