Early feeding is advocated for the resolution of postoperative ileus. After gynecologic laparoscopy, patients usually resume regular diet once the anesthesia has resolved. Gum-chewing is a form of sham feeding which may stimulate gut motility via vagal cholinergic stimulation. This study aimed to determine if gum-chewing is comparable to early feeding in the resolution of postopreative ileus. Thirty patients undergoing elective gynecologic laparoscopic surgery surgery were randomized to the control group, who immediately resumed regular diet, and the gum-chewing group, who were asked to chew gum three times a day until passage of flatus. The mean was operative times were comparable. The time to passage of first flatus of the control group was 22.675 hours while that of the gum-chewing group was 23.174. The difference between the was not significant with a P value of 0.8185. Gum-chewing is comparable to early feeding in the resolution of postoperative ileus.
Human ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; LAPAROSCOPY ; ILEUS ; CHEWING GUM