Randomized clinical trial of the impact of early enteral feeding on postoperative ileus and recovery

Abstract

Early resumption of oral intake does not diminish the duration of postoperative ileus or lead to a significantly increased rate of nasogastric tube reinsertion. Tolerance of oral diet is not influenced by gastrointestinal functional recovery. As there is no reason to withhold oral intake following open colorectal or abdominal vascular surgery, postoperative management should include early resumption of diet.