Chewing gum improves early quality of recovery after thyroid surgery in female patients

Background Female patients always suffer a poorer quality of recovery after general surgery. We aimed to evaluate the effects of chewing gum on early postoperative recovery in this population. Methods In this randomized-controlled trial, 78female patients undergoing thyroidectomy were randomized into two groups. 39 patients chewed gum for 2min at 10min before entering operation-room (Group G), the rest just swallowed twice at the same time (Group C).The primary endpoint is the global QoR40 score on POD1 (24h post-surgery). The secondary endpoints included QoR40 scores on POD2 (48h post-surgery), incidence of treatment for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of throat and incision pain at 24h after surgery. Results Global QoR40 scores on POD1 were significantly higher in Group G than Group C (177.7±8.6 vs 170.9±7.6, P<0.001). Compared to Group C, patients in Group G had a lower VAS for throat pain at 24h after surgery ( P <0.05). The incidence of treatment for PONV was similar between groups ( P >0.05). Conclusion Preoperative chewing gum is effective in enhancement of early quality of recovery in female patients after thyroid surgery without increasing risk of adverse events.