The Effect of Hot Pack Application on Postoperative Ileus Undergoing Surgery for Gynecologic Malignancies

Postoperative ileus (POI), is an extensively known complication characterized by an impairment of normal gastrointestinal motor activity after abdominal surgery and may also occur after surgery at other sites due to non-mechanical causes. [1]. This clinical asset has been linked to prominent perioperative morbidity with the following financial burden owing to extended hospitalization [1]. Furthermore, POI can postpone adjuvant treatments, such as chemotherapy in patients who went through surgery for cancers.

Abdominal tenderness and distension, nausea and vomiting, delay in the passage of flatus and stool, and intolerance to solid food are the prime symptoms of POI [1-3]. It is generally transient, but if prolonged, can cause surgical incision dehiscence, intestinal anastomotic fistula, abdominal cavity infection, intestinal ischemia, aspiration pneumonia, and other serious complications [4-6]. Hence, many clinicians have focused on averting POI. Many studies have analyzed preventive methods, such as preoperative mobilization of the patient, adequate pain control, gum chewing, epidural anesthesia, coffee consumption, and motility agents such as metoclopramide and alvimopan [7-15]. For all the manifold remedy approaches, POI maintains a difficult clinical challenge that compromises the rapid improvement of patients who underwent abdominal surgery.

Recently, thermal attempts have been employs for several situations such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic pelvic pain, and abdominal pain [16]. It may be used in two different ways; whole body or local. Local thermal therapy can be carried out by hot pack or paraffin [17]. It has been demonstrated that local thermotherapy abate myotonia, enhances circulation, and eases pain by expediting the removal of the pain-producing substance. Local thermal therapy is widely used for a number of conditions such as pain, nausea, vomiting, and some bowel diseases in traditional Chinese medicine [18].