Role of Pharmacologic Agents in Treating Postoperative Ileus

All patients develop postoperative ileus (POI) after major abdominal surgery, with approximately 10% developing a more severe form of prolonged ileus. POI represents the single largest factor influencing length of stay after abdominal surgery and has the great implications for patients and resource use in health care. New methods to treat and decrease the duration of POI are therefore of great importance. Up to the year 2000, several pharmacologic agents had been studied to prevent POI, however none of these agents were effective enough to become part of routine established practice. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made treating POI pharmacologically. This article outlines the different pharmacologic options that exist for POI, with emphasis on the research during the past decade and future perspectives.