Effect of gum chewing on reducing postoperative ileus and recovery after colorectal surgery: A randomised controlled trial

• Chewing gum in the postoperative period effected the time of first flatus and defecation positively.
• Chewing gum reduced pain levels on the postoperative 3rd – 5th days.
• Patients who chewed gum started feeding and discharged earlier.

AimThis study aimed to determine the effect of gum chewing on the reduction of postoperative ileus and recovery after surgery.MethodsThis study was conducted a randomized controlled trial in 60 patients who underwent colorectal surgery between November 2011 and December 2012. Patients in the experimental group chewed gum three times a day. The time of flatus and defecation, the time to start feeding, pain levels and time of discharge were monitored.ResultsPost-surgery results for gum-chewing were first flatus and defecation times and the time to start feeding was shorter; pain levels were lower on the 3rd – 5th days; patients were discharged in a shorter time post-surgery.ConclusionsChewing gum is a simple intervention for reducing postoperative ileus after colorectal surgery. Further studies that examine the effectiveness of gum chewing on other surgical interventions in which the development risk of postoperative ileus should be performed.