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REVIEW ARTICLE

Postoperative Gastrointestinal Tract Dysfunction

Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, University College London, United Kingdom; and Portex Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Respiratory Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, United Kingdom

Address correspondence to Michael G. Mythen, MD, FRCA, The Portex Unit, Institute of Child Health, Sixth Floor Cardiac Wing, 30 Guilford St., London WC1N 1EH, UK. Address e-mail to m.mythen{at}ich.ucl.ac.uk Reprints will not be available from the author.

Postoperative gastrointestinal (GI) tract dysfunction (PGID) is common and is associated with increased patient suffering and cost of care. The pathogenesis of PGID is complex and multifactorial. Traditional measures intended to reduce the incidence of PGID, such as the use of prokinetic drugs, nasogastric tube drainage, and the avoidance of early fluid and/or food intake, are apparently not beneficial. The administration of larger volumes of IV fluids to achieve predetermined increases in cardiac output has been shown in randomized trials to improve gut perfusion and reduce the incidence of PGID. A multimodal approach that includes limited surgical incision, regional local anesthesia, early mobilization, and enteral feeding has been associated with a dramatic reduction in postoperative complications, PGID, and length of hospital stay. However, none of these approaches has been validated in adequately powered multicenter prospective randomized controlled trials.

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