Gum chewing: another simple potential method for more rapid improvement of postoperative gastrointestinal function

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Recovery
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Sham feeding is known to enhance bowel motility.
• Postoperative ileus is a common complication following abdominal surgery, impacting recovery.
• Gum chewing (GC) is explored as a method to promote gastrointestinal function post-surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of gum chewing (GC) on gastrointestinal function after abdominal surgery.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of GC in managing postoperative ileus.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Science Citation Index, SpringerLink).
• Meta-analysis using fixed-effect and random-effects models to determine pooled estimates.
• Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q statistic, with stratified and sensitivity analyses performed.

Main Results:

• Gum chewing was well-tolerated in 1,148 cases.
• GC significantly reduced the time to first flatus (weighted mean difference: -9.21 hours) and bowel movement (WMD: -11.42 hours).
• Hospitalization was reduced by an average of 12.23 hours; subgroup analyses favored GC across different abdominal procedures.

Conclusions:

• Gum chewing is a safe and well-tolerated intervention following abdominal surgery.
• GC can potentially shorten the duration of postoperative ileus.
• This meta-analysis supports the use of GC to improve recovery after abdominal procedures.