The Effects of Perioperative Probiotics on Postoperative Gastrointestinal Function in Patients with Brain Tumors: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

The incidence of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction among neurosurgical patients is as high as 80%. Probiotics help to maintain gastrointestinal barrier defense, provide competitive adherence to mucus and epithelial cells, and regulate gastrointestinal motility. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether probiotics enhance gastrointestinal health after craniotomy in patients with brain tumors. This study was a 15-day, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for patients being treated with elective craniotomy for brain tumors. Participants were randomly divided into the probiotics group (4 g probiotics, twice daily) and placebo group. The primary outcome was the time of first stool after surgery. The secondary outcomes included assessments of the gastrointestinal function, changes in gastrointestinal permeability and clinical outcomes. We enrolled a total of 200 participants (probiotics: 100; placebo: 100) and followed the principles of intention-to-treat analysis. The time of first stool and flatus were significantly shorter in the probiotics group compared to the placebo group (P < 0.001, respectively). No significant trends were observed for any other of the secondary outcome variables. Our findings suggest that probiotics can improve the gastrointestinal mobility of patients received craniotomy, and this improvement cannot be explained by changes in gastrointestinal permeability.