NCT07425249

Impact of Chewing Gum on Postoperative Gut Motility in Gastrointestinal Surgery Patients

Impact of Chewing Gum on Postoperative Gut Motility in Gastrointestinal Surgery Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial at Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 96 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Khyber Medical University Peshawar · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 17 Years – 85 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Postoperative ileus (POI) is a frequent complication after abdominal surgery, leading to delayed gastrointestinal motility, prolonged hospital stay, and increased patient discomfort. Chewing gum, as a form of sham feeding, has been proposed to stimulate gut motility through vagal stimulation and increased gastrointestinal secretions. This randomized controlled trial aims to assess the effect of chewing gum on early recovery of gastrointestinal motility in patients undergoing open gastrointestinal surgery.

Detailed description

This prospective randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether chewing gum reduces the time to return of bowel function after gastrointestinal surgery. Ninety-six adult patients undergoing open gastrointestinal surgery will be randomly allocated into intervention and control groups using block randomization. The intervention group will receive glucose-containing chewing gum starting six hours postoperatively. Outcomes measured include time to first bowel sounds, passage of flatus, and defecation. Statistical analysis will assess differences between groups to determine the efficacy of chewing gum in preventing postoperative ileus.

Conditions

• Postoperative Ileus
• Delayed Gastrointestinal Motility
• Postoperative Gut Dysfunction

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Chewing Gum	Participants will chew glucose/carbohydrate-containing chewing gum for 15 minutes, three times daily, starting 6 hours after surgery and continuing for 48 hours or until the first passage of flatus or stool, in addition to standard postoperative care.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-01
• Primary completion: 2026-08-25
• Completion: 2026-10-29
• First posted: 2026-02-20
• Last updated: 2026-02-20

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Pakistan