Comparison 1. Early versus delayed oral fluids and food after major abdominal gynaecologic surgery.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Postoperative ileus	5		Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
1.1 Postoperative ileus	3	279	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.47 [0.17, 1.29]
1.2 Nausea and/or vomiting (fixed‐effect model)	4	484	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.10 [0.88, 1.38]
1.3 Nausea	1	195	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.79 [1.19, 2.71]
1.4 Vomiting	2	301	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.86 [0.37, 2.00]
1.5 Abdominal distension	2	301	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.07 [0.77, 1.47]
1.6 Postoperative placement of nasogastric tube	1	195	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.48 [0.13, 1.80]
2 Time intervals (fixed‐effect model) [days]	4		Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
2.1 Time to the presence of bowel sound (fixed‐effect model) [days]	2	338	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.29 [‐0.48, ‐0.11]
2.2 Time to the passage of flatus [days]	3	444	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.21 [‐0.40, ‐0.01]
2.3 Time to the first solid diet (fixed‐effect model) [days]	2	301	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐1.19 [‐1.34, ‐1.05]
2.4 Time to the first passage of stool [days]	2	249	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.25 [‐0.58, 0.09]
2.5 Hospital stay (fixed‐effect model) [days]	4	484	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.59 [‐0.83, ‐0.35]
3 Other major postoperative complications	4	1286	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.80 [0.63, 1.01]
3.1 Febrile morbidity	1	195	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.98 [0.76, 1.27]
3.2 Infectious complications	2	183	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.20 [0.05, 0.73]
3.3 Wound complications	4	474	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.82 [0.50, 1.35]
3.4 Pneumonia	3	434	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.35 [0.07, 1.73]
4 Satisfaction visual analog scale [mm]	1		Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	Subtotals only
5 Nausea and/or vomiting (random‐effects model)	4	484	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Random, 95% CI)	1.03 [0.64, 1.67]
6 Time to the presence of bowel sound (random‐effects model) [days]	2	338	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐0.32 [‐0.61, ‐0.03]
7 Time to the first solid diet (random‐effects model) [days]	2	301	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐1.47 [‐2.26, ‐0.68]
8 Hospital stay (random‐effects model) [days]	4	484	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐0.92 [‐1.53, ‐0.31]