The effect of coffee consumption after colorectal surgery on bowel movements and duration of hospital stay

Abstract

Background: Postoperative ileus after colorectal surgery is a common problem that significantly prolongs hospital stay and increases perioperative costs. The ability of postoperative coffee consumption to produce bowel movement is unclear and needs to be studied. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of coffee consumption on bowel movements and duration of hospital stay after laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Methods: This non-randomized prospective study examined a population of patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery between November 2018 and June 2019. The study sample consisted of 51 patients, including the experimental group (25 patients who consumed coffee) and the control group (26 patients). The first bowel sounds, the first flatulence and defecation times and duration of hospital stay were examined in this study. There was a statistically significant (p<0.021) difference between the experimental group and the control group, when the first flatulence (13.8 times/h) and defecation (14.8 times/h) times were examined. However, the results were not significantly different between the groups despite the earlier start of the first bowel sounds (2.5 times/h) and the shorter duration of hospital stay (mean 1.1/day) in the experimental group (p>0.05). Conclusion: Postoperative coffee consumption is believed to be an effective, enjoyable, easy and economical method for increasing bowel movements after surgery and is likely to be added to rapid recovery protocols in the future. Further studies with larger samples will confirm this.