To investigate the feasibility of early feeding after lumbar spine surgery in middle-aged and elderly patients. Seventy middle-aged and elderly patients with lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis or lumbar spondylolisthesis after treatments of single-segment lumbar discectomy + spinal canal decompression + interbody fusion after total anesthesia with pedicle screw fixation have been selected from January 2018 to May 2019. They were randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group had semi-liquid diet and water at 2 hours after operation. The control group had semi-liquid diet and water at 6 hours after operation; the first exhaust/defecation time, the incidence of nausea/vomiting after eating, and the incidence of postoperative bloating were compared between the two groups. The first exhaust/defecation time of the experimental group was earlier than the control group (P < 0.05), and the incidence of postoperative abdominal distension was lower in the experimental group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of postoperative nausea/vomiting occurrence in the two groups. (P > 0.05). The middle-aged and elderly patients undergoing general anesthesia for lumbar spine surgery should have faster deflation/defecation within 2 hours postoperatively eating, than 6 hours, to reduce the incidence of postoperative abdominal distension without increasing the incidence of nausea/vomiting adverse reactions.