Relationship between Constipation and Cerebral Vasospasm after Aneurysmal Rupture and Bowel Control in Patients with Vasospasm:Findings from a Retrospective Study

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This study focused on bedside bowel movement-related information obtained during days 0 to 14 after the onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to cerebral aneurysmal rupture, with the aim of examining its potential as a monitoring index for predicting vasospasm onset. This retrospective study covered April 2013 to December 2022. Data collected included age, sex, Hunt and Hess grade, and whether and how radical aneurysm treatment was performed, and patient characteristics were compared between those with and without vasospasm. Among 170 participants, no significant differences were observed in factors related to the gut-brain axis according to the presence of vasospasm. Subsequent descriptive analysis of vasospasm cases during post-SAH days 0 to 14 revealed that patients generally experienced constipation postoperatively while bedridden and received laxatives or bowel-stimulating medications. These findings suggest impaired bowel motility and possible involvement of the gut–brain axis in vasospasm onset. Although no numerically significant differences were demonstrated, the present results indicate a potential relationship between vasospasm and the gut–brain axis, warranting further investigation. J. Med. Invest. 73 : 135-142, February, 2026