Background: Coffee is a popular and easily available beverage worldwide. Recommendations regarding the use of postoperative coffee vary in various international enhanced recovery protocols. Previous systematic reviews have not clarified the effect of postoperative coffee consumption on the incidence of postoperative ileus (POI) and the length of hospital stay (LOS). We aimed to assess its effect on these postoperative outcomes.
Methods: Studies evaluating postoperative coffee consumption were searched using electronic databases until September 2021 to perform random-effect meta-analyses. Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee were also compared. A quality assessment was performed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation method.
Results: Thirteen trials (1246 patients) and nine ongoing trials were included. Of the 13 trials, 6 were on colorectal surgery, 5 on cesarean section, and 2 on gynecological surgery. Coffee reduced the time to first defecation (mean difference (MD) -10.1 min; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -14.5 to -5.6), POI (risk ratio 0.42; 95% CI = 0.26 to 0.69); and LOS (MD -1.5; 95% CI = -2.7 to -0.3). This trend was similar in colorectal and gynecological surgeries. Coffee had no adverse effects. There was no difference in POI or LOS between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee (p > 0.05). The certainty of the evidence was low to moderate.
Conclusion: This review showed that postoperative coffee consumption, regardless of caffeine content, likely reduces POI and LOS after colorectal and gynecological surgery.
Conclusion: This review showed that postoperative coffee consumption, regardless of caffeine content, likely reduces POI and LOS after colorectal and gynecological surgery.