Effect of Chewing Gum on Bowel Function Recovery in Elderly Patients Following Posterior Lumbar Fusion Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: Given the paucity of prospective randomized evidence on chewing gum for postoperative bowel recovery in elderly spinal fusion patients, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of chewing gum in improving bowel function recovery in the elderly after posterior lumbar fusion surgery. METHODS: This study enrolled 119 elderly patients following posterior spinal fusion surgery between September 2023 and May 2025, and they were randomly assigned to either group 1 (chewing gum) or group 2 (control). The time for the first fluid intake, first oral intake, first sitting up, first bowel sounds, first flatus, and first defecation was recorded as outcome measures. Besides, the anesthesia usage controlled by patients after surgery, abdominal pain, distension, surgical wound pain, nausea, and abdominal girth were assessed and recorded at 24, 48, 72 h after surgery. Statistical analyses were performed using independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. RESULT: There are no significant differences observed between the chewing gum and control groups in patient-controlled anesthesia usage, abdominal pain scores, distension scores, surgical wound pain scores, nausea scores, or abdominal girth (p > 0.05). Similarly, postoperative recovery parameters, including time to first fluid intake, oral intake, sitting up, first bowel sounds, first flatus, and first defecation, showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this single-center randomized controlled trial, chewing gum did not show a statistically significant effect on early postoperative bowel function recovery in elderly patients undergoing posterior lumbar fusion surgery.