Research status and prospect of internal therapies of TCM to the recovery of gastrointestinal function after abdominal operation

Objective: In order to provide a basis for further study and development of new drug, literature analysis was used to study the role Chinese medicine for oral taking played in promoting the recovery of gastrointestinal function after abdominal surgery. Methods: We sorted and analyzed clinical studies and experimental research literature of internal therapies of TCM promoting the recovery of gastrointestinal function after abdominal surgery by literature review, summarized the main therapeutic rules, treatment, prescriptions, and main mechanism. Results: The main therapeutic principles of internal therapies of TCM to promoting the recovery of gastrointestinal function after abdominal surgery involve purgation purgative method, qi-regulating method, spleen-fortifying and stomach-harmonizing method, etc. The main prescriptions consist of Da-cheng-qi Tang, Tongfu Decoction, Simo Decoction, folium sennae and so on. The main mechanism includes regulating the levels of motilin and somatostatin. Conclusion: A variety of ways to internal therapies of TCM promoting abdominal postoperative gastrointestinal functional recovery has the efficacy and safety, which is worthy of further systematic study.