Impact of Chewing Gum on Postoperative Gut Motility in Gastrointestinal Surgery Patients
1 other identifier
interventional
96
1 country
1
Brief 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.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable
Started Jan 2026
Shorter than P25 for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
January 1, 2026
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
February 16, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
February 20, 2026
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
August 25, 2026
ExpectedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
October 29, 2026
February 20, 2026
February 1, 2026
8 months
February 16, 2026
February 16, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (2)
Time to First Passage of Flatus
Time interval (in hours) from the end of surgery to the first postoperative passage of flatus, assessed by patient self-report and clinical evaluation.
Within 48 hours postoperatively
Time to First Defecation
Time interval (in hours) from the end of surgery to the first postoperative bowel movement (defecation), assessed by patient self-report and clinical evaluation.
Within 48 hours postoperatively
Study Arms (2)
Chewing Gum Intervention Group
EXPERIMENTALParticipants will receive glucose/carbohydrate-containing chewing gum starting 6 hours after surgery. Patients will chew gum for 15 minutes, three times daily, for 48 hours or until first passage of flatus or stool, in addition to standard postoperative care.
Standard Care Control Group
NO INTERVENTIONParticipants will receive standard postoperative care without chewing gum intervention.
Interventions
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.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- 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.
You may not qualify if:
- 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.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Khyber Medical University Peshawarlead
- Khyber Teaching Hospitalcollaborator
Study Sites (1)
Khyber Teaching Hospital
Peshawar, KPK, 25000, Pakistan
Related Publications (5)
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: 34676664BACKGROUNDGe 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: 26550107BACKGROUNDHsu 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: 35951432BACKGROUNDLew 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: 40072350BACKGROUNDRoslan 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: 32103455BACKGROUND
MeSH Terms
Interventions
Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr Ali Raza, MBBS
Khyber Teaching Hospital
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr Munir Ahmed, FCPS
Khyber Teaching Hospital
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Masking Details
- This is an open-label study. Neither participants nor investigators are blinded due to the nature of the intervention.
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
February 16, 2026
First Posted
February 20, 2026
Study Start
January 1, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
August 25, 2026
Study Completion (Estimated)
October 29, 2026
Last Updated
February 20, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-02
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will share
- Shared Documents
- STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ANALYTIC CODE
- Time Frame
- Data will be available beginning 6 months after publication of the primary results and will remain available for up to 5 years.
- Access Criteria
- Access to de-identified IPD will be granted to researchers who provide a methodologically sound research proposal, with approval from the principal investigator and institutional ethical review board. A data use agreement will be required prior to data sharing.
De-identified individual participant data (IPD) related to study outcomes, baseline characteristics, and statistical analyses will be shared with qualified researchers upon reasonable request, after publication of the primary study results. Data will be shared to promote transparency and facilitate further research while ensuring participant confidentiality.