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Daily coffee speeds up recovery after laparoscopic colorectal surgery
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Daily coffee intake after laparoscopic elective colorectal resection may prevent postoperative ileus and reduce hospital stay due to a significantly shorter time to first bowel movement, according to data published in Diseases of the Colon and Rectum.
“Our study shows that early postoperative coffee intake after elective laparoscopic colorectal resection leads to a faster recovery of bowel function and thus potentially decreases length of hospital stay,” Simone Hasler-Gehrer, MD, and colleagues from Switzerland wrote. “Because of its easy availability and low adverse effects, coffee could be integrated in the postoperative management of patients undergoing colorectal resections.”
In this prospective study, researchers randomly assigned 115 patients between September 2014 and December 2016 to either the intervention group (coffee; n = 56) or the control group (non-caffeinated tea; n = 59). Both groups received a total of 150 mL of the respective beverage three times per day (8:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM), in addition to regular infusion therapy and/or alimentation.
The first bowel movement occurred after a median of 65.2 hours for the coffee group vs. 74.1 hours for the tea group (P = .008). Within 24 hours after surgery, 7.1% of patients in the coffee group and 1.7% in the tea group experienced the first bowel movement. An intention-to-treat analysis showed no difference in median length of hospital stay for coffee vs. tea (6 days vs. 7 days; P = .13). However, a per-protocol analysis found a difference in length of stay (P = .043).
“Our [per-protocol] analysis showed a significantly shorter hospital stay in the coffee group,” researchers wrote. “Therefore, early postoperative coffee consumption might also help to reduce the length of hospital stay.” – by Julia Lowndes
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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