Abstract

Alvimopan and enhanced recovery pathways in colorectal surgery

Author(s): Benjamin Crawshaw, Deborah S Keller & Conor P Delaney

Postoperative ileus negatively impacts patient outcomes and healthcare utilization, increasing both postoperative length of stay and health care costs. In efforts to optimize perioperative care, efforts have been placed into developing tools to minimize postoperative ileus. Alvimopan (Entereg®) was developed to meet this need. Alvimopan has permitted accelerated return of bowel function after abdominal surgery in select patients. Alvimopan has the potential to significantly improve clinical and financial results, and research is ongoing to determine effective further applications of this medication.