Acupuncture and Post-Operative Ileus

Postoperative ileus, the transient cessation of normal bowel function, is a universal aspect of colon surgery. Its occurrence may lead to increased patient discomfort and additional time and cost to hospital stay. Evidence from previous studies indicate that acupuncture may be beneficial in decreasing time to recovery of bowel function and decrease the body\'s inflammatory response. However, this has not been studied in a randomized, prospective fashion in colon surgery. The goal of this study is to determine if acupuncture may be utilized as a therapeutic modality to decrease time to return of bowel function and discharge from the hospital.