Association of gum chewing with early gastrointestinal recovery in single-port laparoscopic gynecologic surgery

Objective: To examine the impact of gum chewing on the recovery of gastrointestinal function following single-port laparoscopic surgery for gynecologic conditions. Methods: In this prospective, randomized, controlled trial, patients who underwent single-port laparoscopic surgery were randomly assigned to either a gum-chewing group or a control group. Participants in the gum-chewing group were instructed to chew gum for 15 minutes every 6 hours while awake until they passed gas for the first time, while those in the control group received standard postoperative care. The primary outcome measure was the time to the first passage of flatus, and secondary outcome measures included the time to first bowel movement sounds, time to first defecation, and length of hospital stay. Results: The study included 100 patients who were randomly assigned to either the gum-chewing group (n=52) or the routine care group (n=48). Patients in the gum-chewing group had a significantly shorter time to the passage of the first flatus compared to those in the control group (20.7 +/- 13.1 vs. 26.8 +/- 15.8 h; P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of time to first bowel movement sounds, time to first defecation, or length of hospitalization. Conclusion: Postoperative gum chewing is associated with an earlier recovery of gastrointestinal function in patients undergoing single-port laparoscopic gynecologic surgery. Additionally, gum chewing is considered safe and is well-tolerated and should be recommended as an adjunct treatment in postoperative care.