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Recruiting NCT07425249

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

No phase Interventional Postoperative Ileus Delayed Gastrointestinal Motility Postoperative Gut Dysfunction

For patients and families

In plain language

An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.

What is being studied
The protocol lists: Chewing Gum.
Who it may be relevant to
Registry conditions: Postoperative Ileus, Delayed Gastrointestinal Motility, Postoperative Gut Dysfunction. Basic parameters: 17 years — 85 years · All.
What needs checking
Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
Where it takes place
Pakistan
Next step
Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →

Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →

Official title

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

Overview

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.

Interventions

  • 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.

Primary outcome measures

  • Time to First Passage of Flatus [Time frame: Within 48 hours postoperatively]
  • Time to First Defecation [Time frame: Within 48 hours postoperatively]

Eligibility 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.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation
Randomized
Model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Open label
Primary purpose
Prevention

Study locations

Pakistan · 1 center
  • Khyber Teaching Hospital — Peshawar

Publications

  • Wells CI, Milne TGE, Seo SHB, Chapman SJ, Vather R, Bissett IP, O'Grady G. Post-operative ileus: definitions, mechanisms and controversies. ANZ J Surg. 2022 Jan;92(1-2):62-68. doi: 10.1111/ans.17297. Epub 2021 Oct 22. PMID 34676664
  • Ge W, Chen G, Ding YT. Effect of chewing gum on the postoperative recovery of gastrointestinal function. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2015 Aug 15;8(8):11936-42. eCollection 2015. PMID 26550107
  • Hsu YC, Szu SY. Effects of Gum Chewing on Recovery From Postoperative Ileus: A Randomized Clinical Trail. J Nurs Res. 2022 Oct 1;30(5):e233. doi: 10.1097/jnr.0000000000000510. PMID 35951432
  • Lew SL, Cheng LJ, Yap SY, Liaw YQ, Park J, Lau ST. Effect of chewing gum on clinical outcomes and postoperative recovery in adult patients after gastrointestinal surgery: an umbrella review. Int J Surg. 2025 May 1;111(5):3481-3493. doi: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000002332. PMID 40072350
  • Roslan F, Kushairi A, Cappuyns L, Daliya P, Adiamah A. The Impact of Sham Feeding with Chewing Gum on Postoperative Ileus Following Colorectal Surgery: a Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. J Gastrointest Surg. 2020 Nov;24(11):2643-2653. doi: 10.1007/s11605-019-04507-3. Epub 2020 Feb 26. PMID 32103455

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07425249 · KMU/DIR/CTU/2025/14

Primary sources (government registries)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗