Postoperative ileus is common after major abdominal surgery, the longest duration being encountered in colonic operations [1]. Postoperative ileus can cause the accumulation of secretions and gas, resulting in nausea, vomiting and abdominal distension and pain. Prolonged paralytic ileus is one of the commonest reasons for delayed recovery and discharge from hospital following abdominal surgery. Advances in surgical techniques and peri-operative management such as the use of laparoscopic surgery, thoracic epidural analgesia, early postoperative feeding and mobilization, amongst others, have been shown to help in the resolution of postoperative ileus [2–4]. In a small Japanese study, gum chewing was shown to enhance early recovery from postoperative ileus after laparoscopic colectomy [5]. If this finding could be corroborated, this would be an inexpensive and natural physiological method for stimulating bowel motility following abdominal surgery.
We investigated whether gum chewing facilitated recovery from postoperative ileus in patients undergoing open colectomy for left-sided colon and rectal cancer by means of a prospective randomised controlled trial.