Prucalopride fails to reduce recovery time after colorectal surgery

A new study published in the British Journal of Surgery shows that after elective colorectal surgery, prucalopride did not shorten the amount of time it took for gut function to fully recover.

Following colorectal surgery, delayed gut function and prolonged postoperative ileus (PPOI) cause a delay in recovery. A selective serotonin-4 receptor agonist, prucalopride may increase gastrointestinal motility. This double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment was carried out by Tony Milne and colleagues with the main goal of determining if preoperative and postoperative prucalopride administration shortens the recovery period for patients following elective colorectal resection. The secondary goal was to find out if prucalopride lowers the incidence of PPOI following elective colorectal surgery.

This multicenter study compared the effects of 2 mg of prucalopride to a placebo in individuals having an elective colorectal resection. Colostomy creation was permitted but patients with inflammatory bowel illness and intended ileostomy development were not eligible. The trial drug was administered two hours prior to surgery and every day for up to six days following surgery. The time it took for the stool to pass and the diet's tolerance were the main outcomes (GI-2). Blocks of 10 participants were distributed in a 1:1 ratio.