• acceleration of gastrointestinal recovery
  

• time until ready for discharge based upon recovery of GI function
  
• severity of GI symptoms
  
• pain
  
• opioid consumption
  
• time to tolerate solid food
  
• need for reinsertion of nasogastric tube
  
• time until discharge order is written
  

Postoperative ileus (POI) is temporary slowing down or stopping of bowel function and a slowing down of movement of contents of the intestines. This functional impairment persists for a variable duration following surgery, usually resolving within 1 day in the small intestine, 1 to 3 days in the stomach and 3 to 5 days in the colon. When POI persists for more than 5 days, it is generally considered severe, sometimes referred to as complicated or prolonged POI, and increases the risk for related morbidity. No drug therapy has been shown to consistently shorten the duration of POI. This study is designed to demonstrate that alvimopan, a novel, peripherally acting mu opioid receptor antagonist, accelerates the recovery of GI function in patients undergoing bowel resection of hysterectomy.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subject is scheduled for a partial small/large bowel resection of primary anastomosis or total abdominal hysterectomy (simple or radical) via laparotomy
• Subject is scheduled to receive primary postoperative pain management with intravenous (i.v.) patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) opioids

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subject is scheduled for a total colectomy, colostomy, ileostomy
• Subject has complete bowel obstruction
• Subject is currently taking opioid analgesics or has taken opioid analgesics within the prior 2 weeks