Abdominal surgery patients who drink coffee rather than water after the procedure have a quicker return to normal bowel movements, German researchers have found.
The trial randomised 80 patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy to either coffee or water post-procedure. Time to first bowel movement for the coffee drinkers was 14 hours earlier and they were able to tolerate solid food seven hours earlier.
Around half of the patients were being treated for colonic cancer, 28% for diverticulitis and 13% for IBD.
“Postoperative coffee consumption is a cheap and safe way to activate bowel motility after elective colonic surgery,” the authors concluded.
Abdominal surgery patients who drink coffee rather than water after the procedure have a quicker return to normal bowel movements, German researchers have found.
The trial randomised 80 patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy to either coffee or water post-procedure. Time to first bowel movement for the coffee drinkers was 14 hours earlier and they were able to tolerate solid food seven hours earlier.
Around half of the patients were being treated for colonic cancer, 28% for diverticulitis and 13% for IBD.
“Postoperative coffee consumption is a cheap and safe way to activate bowel motility after elective colonic surgery,” the authors concluded.
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