Objective To reveal if whether fennel fruit (Fructus Foeniculi) tea drinking enhances the recovery of intestinal function after gynecologic malignancies operation. Methods A total of 159 patients undergoing laparotomy for gynecological cancers were randomized into a tea group (n=78) and a control group (n=81). The patients in tea group drank a cup of fennel fruit tea while patients in control group drank the equal quantity of water twice per day from the first morning after operation until the first flatus. Every cup of tea consists of 5 gram of dried fennel fruit and 130 mL boiled water. The patents only drank the filtrate. Groups were compared in terms of time to first flatus and defecation, postoperative hospital stay, length of parenteral nutrition, ileus symptoms and other postoperative complications. Results Postoperative hospital 〔(5.6±1.2) d vs. (6.7±2.0) d, P P P P=0.001 〕. Conclusion Fennel tea drinking after laparotomy for gynecological malignancis, an economical care, is safe, well to lerated and associated with rapider recovery of bowel motility, shorter hospital stay and fewer complications.
