Evaluation of the Effect of Gummy Candy on Postoperative Ileus and Its Complications

Prolonged postoperative ileus can delay hospital discharge. According to the reports, diet and in particular gummy candy may strengthen bowel movements and hence eliminate ileus. A total of 149 patients within the age range of 7-60 years who underwent laparotomy were randomly divided into the experimental group that were treated with gummy candy and the control group which included 73 patients. The experimental group chewed gummy candy four times a day,  hours after operation until the first flatulence. The patients in the both groups were checked for bowel movement and flatulence every two hours and it was recorded precisely. Both groups were also divided into 3 subgroups based on surgical incision. On average, the first recorded bowel sound was 10.78 ± 7.66 hours after the surgery. In addition, the first flatulence was recorded on average 2.51 ± 14.32 hours after the surgery. The mean time of hospitalization in both groups was 104.21±7 57.85 hours. The mean duration between the surgical end time, the first recorded bowel sound and the time to first flatulence was significantly lower in the experimental group compared with the control group.