The Effects of Gum Chewing in the Postoperative-Period: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Postoperative ileus (POI) is a transient impairment of gastrointestinal motility occurring after surgery. Patients with POI can suffer from complications such as increased risk of nosocomial infections, overall mortality risk, and higher overall healthcare costs. This study aims to (a) evaluate the effectiveness of gum chewing on relieving POI symptoms (b) conduct meta-analysis on POI outcome variables to estimate overall effect size.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus for English language randomized controlled trials (RCTs), evaluating the postoperative effects of gum chewing in adult surgical patients. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts, resolving conflicts by discussion. Study qualit

SUBMITTER: Li C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12413593 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul-Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature