The recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function is a significant indicator for evaluating the postoperative recovery of patients. In turn, postoperative recovery of patients with postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction could be delayed. Lidocaine has been used in recent years to promote the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function in patients without noticeable adverse reactions. This review mainly summarizes the influencing factors of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction, the effect of intravenous infusion of lidocaine on the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function in patients who accept different categories of surgery, and the possible mechanism of lidocaine to improve postoperative gastrointestinal function to provide a new solution for enhancing postoperative recovery.