Length of Stay between Early versus Delayed Oral Postoperative Feeding after Gynecologic Surgery under General Anesthesia: Randomized Controlled Trial, Single Center

Objective: The primary objective was to assess the length of hospital stay in patients receiving early feeding compared to delayed feeding under general anesthesia following gynecologic surgery. The secondary objective was evaluating complication incidence. Materials and Methods: In a randomized controlled trial at Queen Savang Vadhana Memorial Hospital between April and September 2023, patients who underwent major benign gynecologic surgery were allocated to either early feeding, as initiating water at six hours post-surgery followed by soft diet, or delayed feeding as water on the first postoperative day, progressing to soft diet based on bowel function. Results: Forty-two patients were randomized with 21 patients assigned to the delayed feeding group and 21 to the early feeding group. Results showed a significant reduction in hospital stay in the early feeding group compared to the delayed feeding group at 2.27 days versus 2.87 days (p<0.05), with similar rates of complications between the two groups. Bloating was the most common issue, occurring in 23.8% of patients in both groups, while nausea and vomiting were effectively managed. Conclusion: The length of hospital stay was found to be significantly shorter in the early feeding group. Additionally, complications were mild and tolerable. These findings support the feasibility and benefits of early postoperative feeding protocols in improving patient recovery and resource utilization.