Beneficial effects of the n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in surgical patients: Updating the evidence

► n-3 PUFAs attenuate acute inflammatory response in surgical patients. ► They improve clinical outcomes such as decreased infection rate. ► They reduce the length of hospital and intensive care unit stay. ► No deleterious immunologic effects of n-3 PUFAs have been reported. ► No sufficient evidence about a positive effect of n-3 PUFAs on mortality is available.