BACKGROUND AND AIM: Nonoperative management of cases of adhesive intestinal obstruction would be ideal, especially for patients who have recently undergone surgery to relieve the same condition. We aimed to examine whether hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy might have therapeutic potential for the treatment of postoperative paralytic ileus and recurrent adhesive intestinal obstruction soon after surgery, to relieve adhesive intestinal obstruction, because of its unique mechanisms in these contexts. METHODS: A total of 133 patients were enrolled in the present study. We examined non-per os periods, hospital stay, and clinical course according to the postoperative course of the 133 patients. RESULTS: After surgical intervention, 75 patients left the hospital without morbidity. Nineteen patients were successfully administered prophylactic HBO therapy to facilitate intestinal motility and to prevent paralytic ileus. The remaining 39 patients suffered from postoperative paralytic ileus or early recurrence of obstruction during the same hospitalization period. The patients who underwent prophylactic HBO therapy had significantly shorter non-per os periods and hospital stays after surgery than those who were not initially given HBO therapy (P < 0.05). Similarly, there were significant differences in duration of hospital stay after surgery between patients with HBO therapy as treatment and those who received other conservative therapies (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HBO therapy may have a prophylactic effect on postoperative paralytic ileus and may be of therapeutic benefit in the management of early recurrent adhesive intestinal obstruction following surgery to relieve adhesive intestinal obstruction.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The results of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy for treatment of postoperative paralytic ileus and adhesive intestinal obstruction associated with abdominal surgery are unknown. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective review of postoperative paralytic ileus and adhesive intestinal obstruction associated with abdominal surgery in 626 patients required 758 admissions who underwent HBO therapy was undertaken to examine the efficacy of HBO therapy. RESULTS: The overall resolution rates for patients receiving HBO therapy in cases of postoperative paralytic ileus and adhesive intestinal obstruction were 92% and 85%, respectively. Among patients who were more than 75 years old, the therapies resolved 35 (97%) of 36 cases of postoperative paralytic ileus and 42 (81%) of 52 cases of adhesive intestinal obstruction, which was comparable to the results for patients less than 75 years old. The mortality rate was 1.2% overall. Complications related to HBO therapy occurred in 3.8% of the admissions, and most of them were not serious. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that HBO therapy might deserve further assessment for use in management of postoperative paralytic ileus and adhesive intestinal obstruction as a new modality. HBO therapy is safe and non-invasive, and may be useful in the elderly patients, since mortality was relatively low in this series.