• Eric Treat, Avi Baskin, Andy Lin, Nicole Cohen, Corinne Del Rosario, and Hans Albin Gritsch.
• Department of Urology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
• J. Am. Coll. Surg. 2016 May 1; 222 (5): 798-804.

BackgroundDelay in the return of bowel function often prolongs hospitalization after kidney transplantation, leading to increased patient morbidity and health care costs. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution has been observed to aid the return of bowel function in postoperative patients undergoing abdominal surgery.Study DesignUsing a 2-arm, single-surgeon, nonrandomized study, we compared the addition of PEG along with early resumption of diet with a control group using only early resumption of diet in kidney transplantation patients.ResultsThere were 51 subjects in the control group and 47 subjects in the PEG intervention group. The primary outcomes measure, time to bowel movement, was significantly shorter than the control group by an entire day (2.9 ± 1.1 days vs 4.0 ± 1.3 days; p < 0.001). In propensity score analysis, patients receiving PEG had bowel movements sooner (-1.06 ± 0.25 days; p < 0.001) and decreased lengths of stay (-1.16 ± 0.27 days; p < 0.001).ConclusionsPolyethylene glycol significantly reduced time to return of bowel function and postoperative length of stay. By adding PEG to the postoperative protocol, we can help to reduce costs of hospitalization and improve overall outcomes in renal transplantation patients.Copyright © 2016 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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