Can you chew gum and recover from surgery at the same time? British researchers say it'sa great idea for some patients.
Chewing gum may speed the return of normal bowel functions after colon surgery, a new analysis of five studies suggests. Some patients have trouble moving their bowels after colon surgery but chewing gum may fool the body into better digestion.
Gum gets the juices flowing, literally. Besides saliva , it may stimulate gut hormones and pancreatic secretions, according to the study's authors, researchers at Imperial College London.
The findings, in the August issue of Archives of Surgery , came from an analysis of five studies involving a total of 158 patients. As the patients recovered from colon surgery, some chewed sugarless gum three times a day for five to 45 minutes. Others did not chew gum.
The gum chewers had a faster return of bowel function, measured in the time it took after surgery for them to pass gas for the first time (half a day earlier than non-chewers) and to have a first bowel movement (a day earlier).
Four studies examined how many days patients stayed in hospital. The gum chewers were discharged,> In the studies, there were no problems caused by the gum.
Chewing sugarless gum could also help recovery after other abdominal operations, said study co-author Sanjay Purkayastha. Sorbitol, a common artificial sweetener in gum, is known to have a laxative effect, he said.
But a cautious Dr. Theodore Saclarides, head of colon and rectal surgery at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center, said more study is needed. Chewing gum could cause patients to swallow air, which could add to their tummy troubles. A better choice, he said, is promptly eating some food: clear liquids the day after surgery and solid foods the next day.
(SD-Agencies)