The effect of gum chewing on postoperative ileus in open colorectal surgery patients: A review

Abstract

Background: Postoperative ileus is a common complication of abdominal surgery, leading to prolonged hospital stay and associated costs. Gum chewing may be a safe, cheap intervention to reduce postoperative ileus.

Methods: The aim was to investigate the effect of gum chewing on postoperative ileus in open colorectal surgery patients. A literature search was conducted between December 2018 and March 2019 on CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar. The keywords used included 'ileus', 'chewing gum', 'mastication' and 'sham feeding'. Papers had to include adults undergoing open colorectal surgery. The studies were appraised using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tools and the results summarised using a narrative review.

Results: A total of three systematic reviews and three randomised controlled trials were included in the study. The studies show a significant to highly significant effect of gum chewing on postoperative ileus-related outcomes. The trials however in general utilised a weak design.

Conclusions: Gum chewing decreases postoperative ileus following colorectal surgery. More robust trials are required to confirm these findings. Due to the low risk of harm and cost of using gum chewing, its use is recommended even in the interim.

Keywords: Gum chewing; Paralytic ileus; Post-anaesthetic care; Postoperative care; Sham feeding.