Chewing Gum Speeds Recovery After Colon Surgery
One of the almost-guaranteed after-effects of surgery that removes all or part of the colon is an inability of the intestines to pass its contents further along the alimentary canal. This condition, called postoperative ileus, is thought to be a major factor in the pain and discomfort that follow this type of surgery, with symptoms that include nausea, vomiting, painful cramps, and abdominal distension. Treating these consequences of surgery cost the US healthcare system an estimated $1 billion each year.
Researchers at St. Mary’s Hospital in London have determined that the simple act of chewing gum as a part of the recovery process can shorten the time it takes for the gastrointestinal tract to become active again after bowel surgery. The chewing action is thought to stimulate nerves throughout the digestive system, causing the release of digestive hormones and an increase in the production of saliva and pancreatic secretions that are instrumental to complete digestion.
The research team, led by Sanjay Purkayastha, BSc, MRCS, reviewed data from five trials dating back to 2006, which involved a collective total of 158 patients. The patients in each trial were divided into groups that chewed sugarless gum during recovery and groups that did not chew gum at that time. The groups chewing gum after surgery did so three times each day for periods ranging from five to 45 minutes each.
The groups chewing gum were able to pass gas almost a full day (.66) sooner than those not chewing gum. The gum-chewing groups were also able to have a bowel movement sooner, by as much as 1.1 days. Passing gas (flatus) and bowel movements are both signs that intestinal function is returning to a healthy state.
The study groups chewing gum were also released from the hospital sooner but the difference here was not enough to be considered clinically significant. The research team suggests the need for larger scale, more in-depth study of the benefit of chewing gum as part of the recovery strategy following bowel surgery to learn more about how chewing gum can speed discharge from hospitalization.
The August issue of the JAMA/Archives publication, Archives of Surgery, carries full details of the Purkayastha study.
Source: JAMA
OMG – who would have thought that!!
I bet the chinese knew this already though. Like, why is it women have better eye sight than men. They reckon it is because most women have have pierced ears which the chinese say (on the ear lobe) there is a pressure point which relates to the ear.