Chewing Gum May Shorten Post-Surgery Recovery Time
British researchers claim that chewing gum may help some colon surgery patients return to normal bowel function in less time.
The findings, published in the August issue of Archives of Surgery, come from five studies with a total of 158 patients recovering from colon surgery.
Some of the patients involved chewed sugarless gum three times a day for five to 45 minutes, while the other participants did not chew gum.
Those who chewed gum had a faster return of bowel function, measured in the time it took after surgery for them to pass gas for the first time (a half-day earlier than non-chewers) and to have a first bowel movement (a day earlier).
Four studies examined how many days patients stayed in the hospital. The gum chewers were discharged, on average, one day earlier, but the difference wasn’t statistically significant.
In the studies, there were no problems caused by the gum.
Researchers believe that gum stimulates saliva, hormones and pancreatic secretions that aid in the patients’ recovery time.
Some patients have trouble moving their bowels after colon surgery but chewing gum may fool the body into good digestion.
More than 320,000 colorectal surgeries performed in the United States annually at a cost of $2,100 per day in the hospital. Some doctors believe chewing gum may help patients recover faster and leave the hospital sooner.
The study’s co-author, Sanjay Purkayastha says that Sorbitol, a common sweetener in sugarless gum could also help recovery after other abdominal surgeries because of its laxative effect.
However, Dr. Theodore Saclarides, head of colon and rectal surgery at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, said more study is needed. A better choice, he said, is promptly eating some food: clear liquids the day after surgery and solid foods the next day.
A new drug, Adolor Corp. (ADLR)’s drug Entereg, is now approved to treat constipation following abdominal surgery. The Food and Drug Administration has restricted its use to hospitals after one study found more heart attacks in people taking the drug.
—
On the Net: