Abstract Context: Postoperative ileus limits early hospital discharge for patients who had undergone abdominal surgery. Literature indicates that chewing gum is evaluated as a convenient method to enhance recovery from postoperative ileus after abdominal surgery. Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of chewing gum on post-operative ileus among the patients of abdominal surgery. Settings and Design: Prospective randomized interventional study. Methods and Material: Patients were assigned randomly to one of two groups of each procedure depending on condition of the patient. Interview schedule and checklist were used to assess the bowel sounds, passage of first flatus, passage of stool and return of appetite. The patients in the study group as per planned protocol were administered chewing gum three times a day for 30 min starting from the time patient become conscious till the onset of one of the primary endpoints. The patients are allowed to chew the gum even with Ryle’s tube. Statistical analysis used: Data was analysed using IBM SPSS version 22 software with Chi-square test used for test of significance. Results: The mean duration of return of first bowel sounds, the passage of first flatus and return of appetite was significantly shorter in the study group as compared to the control group as per tests of statistical significance. Conclusions: It is concluded that use of chewing gum in the postoperative period is a safe and cheap method to stimulate bowel motility and reduce the postoperative ileus after abdominal surgery.
Keywords: chewing gum; bowel motility; postoperative ileus.