Chewing Gum Cannot Reduce Postoperative Abdominal Pain and Nausea After Posterior Spinal Fusions in Patients With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Abstract

Study Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of chewing gum on postoperative abdominal pain, nausea, and hospital stays after posterior spinal fusions (PSFs) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Summary of Background Data: Chewing gum had been extensively reported to improve bowel motility and is recommended to hasten bowel recovery following gastrointestinal surgery. However, there is no conclusive evidence regarding the effect of chewing gum on postoperative abdominal pain, nausea, and hospital stays after PSFs in AIS patients. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed for relevant randomized controlled trials using PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and Embase. Studies were selected to compare the use of chewing gum versus standard care in the management of postoperative abdominal pain and nausea in AIS patients undergoing PSFs. Hospital stays were also investigated. The study was conducted using the checklist for PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Results: Three randomized controlled trials were included in the systematic review and the meta-analysis. No significant effect of chewing gum was highlighted concerning the postoperative abdominal pain scores at 24 and 48 hours [24 h: mean difference (MD)=0.45, 95% CI=−0.97 to 0.07, P=0.09; 48 h: MD=−0.24, 95% CI=−0.79 to 0.32, P=0.41]. No significant difference regarding the postoperative nausea scores was found at 24 and 48 hours (24 h: MD=0.26, 95% CI=−0.27 to 0.79, P=0.34; 48 h: MD=0.06, 95% CI=−0.36 to 0.48, P=0.77). No significant difference regarding hospital stays was found (MD=0.13, 95% CI=−0.02 to 0.28, P=0.09). Conclusions: Based on the current studies, chewing gum does not have a significant effect on postoperative abdominal pain, nausea, or hospital stays after PSFs in AIS patients. As the effect of chewing gum in reducing postoperative abdominal pain exhibits a tendency towards statistical significance (P=0.09), the effect of chewing gum in spinal surgery merits further studies with larger sample size.