Recovery Evaluation System of Bowel Functions following Orthopedic Surgery and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Patients may experience nausea or vomiting after operations because of the temporary inhibitory effect of volatile and intravenous anesthetics on intestinal peristalsis. Therefore, understanding how to evaluate the state of postoperative intestinal recovery is necessary. Previous studies have detailed several approaches, but due to their subjectivity and need for experienced evaluators, they are limited in value. This paper presents a smart postoperative recovery assessment system that automatically monitors bowel sounds. An algorithm was developed to automatically detect bowel movement through sound and extract the characteristics thereof. Postoperative intestinal recovery was accurately reflected in these bowel sound characteristics, and patient recovery status was effectively evaluated through a neural network technique. The proposed system may facilitate the clinical evaluation of postoperative intestinal recovery in the future.