Can Simple Perioperative Measures Improve Quality of Recovery Following Ambulatory Laparoscopic Surgery in Females? An Open Prospective Randomised Study, Comparing Nutritional Preoperative Drink and Chewing Gum During Recovery to Standard Care.

Abstract One major goal in modern perioperative anaesthesia care is to facilitate a rapid, yet safe recovery process, with focus on improving time to regained consciousness and subsequent resuming of activities of daily living. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy and gynaecological laparoscopy are a "high volume" procedure commonly performed in young females expecting rapid resumption of health.

The aim of this study was to assess whether it was possible to improve patients' self-assessed quality of recovery and reduce the level of post-operative nausea and vomiting in female patient undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy by simple perioperative measures in the form of a preoperative 200 ml nutritional drink and chewing gum during early recovery.

Methods Patients were randomised to an active group receiving the intervention, and controls provided with standard care only. Patients were followed by questionnaire interviews preoperatively and at 2, 24 and 48 hours after surgery. The Quality of Recovery scale (QoR) 15 items and 5 additional questions around gastro-intestinal symptoms were self-assessed by patients at each occasion.