Postoperative Ileus in the Elderly

Abstract

Postoperative ileus is among the most common complications after surgery. Aging is associated with an increased colonic transit time, and anesthetic disturbance to colonic motility is often aggravated in the elderly. Postoperative ileus increases morbidity, prolongs the length of hospital stay, and constitutes a significant economic burden on the healthcare system. Multimodal enhanced recovery protocols, or fast-track surgeries, have been developed to improve postoperative recovery. Patient education, avoidance of perioperative fluid overload, selective use of nasogastric decompression, early ambulation, adopting a minimally invasive approach, early initiation of clear fluids, and gum chewing are all possible measures to reduce postoperative ileus. Thoracic epidural anesthesia is a well-established technique to hasten recovery, whereas insufficient data are available to ascertain the safety and efficacy of opioid-sparing analgesia in the elderly. The evidence is clear that traditional prokinetic medications are not helpful in the treatment or prevention of postoperative ileus. Early results suggest that alvimopan is a promising agent to reverse opioid-induced ileus. Since postoperative ileus is a multifactorial condition, a concerted effort is therefore necessary to prevent or decrease the duration of postoperative ileus using multimodal strategies.

Keywords

• ileus
• old age
• surgery