Post-op Rx: chew gum

0 Comments | Saturday Evening Post, May-June, 2008

The act of chewing gum helps people regain normal bowel function after reconstructive surgery for bladder cancer, according to preliminary study results from a University of North Carolina research team.

Benefits of the simple and inexpensive strategy were noted in patients who underwent a urinary diversion procedure that uses a segment of the bowel. Each patient chewed five sticks of Wrigley Freedent gum on the first day after the procedure. Earlier studies suggest that gum-chewers also recovered more quickly from certain gastrointestinal procedures than non-gum-chewers. Investigators say the chewing motion may activate neurological and hormonal pathways that increase gut motility.

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