Chewing gum to speed bowel recovery after open gastrointestinal surgery
Impact of Chewing Gum on Postoperative Gut Motility in Gastrointestinal Surgery Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial at Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan
This trial will test whether chewing glucose-containing gum after open gastrointestinal surgery helps adults' intestines start working sooner.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 96 (estimated) |
| Ages | 17 Years to 85 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Khyber Medical University Peshawar Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Peshawar, KPK) |
| Trial ID | NCT07425249 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized controlled trial will enroll 96 adults undergoing open gastrointestinal surgery and use block randomization to assign participants to a chewing-gum intervention or a control group. The intervention group will begin chewing glucose-containing gum six hours after surgery as a form of sham feeding. Primary outcomes include time to first bowel sounds, passage of flatus, and first defecation, with statistical comparisons between groups. The study aims to determine whether postoperative gum chewing shortens the duration of postoperative ileus and speeds recovery of gut motility.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults aged 17–85 undergoing open gastrointestinal (elective or emergency) surgery who can provide informed consent and do not meet exclusion criteria.
Not a fit: Patients with metabolic or endocrine disorders, renal disease, chronic constipation or neuromuscular disorders, those on medications that affect gut motility, with dental prostheses, or having laparoscopic surgery are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, chewing gum could offer a simple, low-cost way to speed return of bowel function, reduce discomfort, and shorten hospital stays.
How similar studies have performed: Previous randomized trials and meta-analyses of gum chewing after abdominal surgery have reported modest but consistent reductions in time to first flatus and bowel movement, so this approach has supportive prior evidence.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 17 and 85 years. * Patients of either gender. * Undergoing open gastrointestinal surgical procedures (elective or emergency). * Willing to participate and able to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with metabolic or endocrine disorders (diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, or hyperthyroidism). * Patients with renal disease or electrolyte imbalance. * Patients with chronic constipation or neuromuscular disorders. * Patients with substance abuse or drug addiction. * Patients receiving medications affecting gut motility (calcium channel blockers or antiepileptic drugs). * Patients with dental prosthesis or undergoing laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery.
Where this trial is running
Peshawar, KPK
- Khyber Teaching Hospital — Peshawar, Kpk, Pakistan (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Dr Ali Raza, MBBS — Khyber Teaching Hospital
- Study coordinator: Dr Ali Raza, MBBS
- Email: dralicenna022@gmail.com
- Phone: +923452479895
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.