Effect of Abdominal Massage on Constipation After Cardiac Surgery

Bahçeşehir University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Abdominal Massage

Treatments: Other: abdominal massage

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06596421

20220750

Details and patient eligibility

About

Background and Aim: Although the incidence of gastrointestinal complications after cardiovascular surgery is reported to be rare, it has been reported that patients experience problems with constipation within the week after discharge. The presence of abdominal distension due to constipation after cardiac surgery may lead to prolonged wound healing, paralytic ileus and gastric dilatation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of abdominal massage on constipation after cardiac surgery.

Methods: A prospective, randomised controlled quasi-experimental study was conducted in the cardiovascular surgery clinic of a public hospital between September 2022 and July 2023. A power analysis was performed to determine the sample size. A total of 130 patients were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group using a simple randomisation method. Data were collected using a 21-item form from the first day after surgery. Burping and defecation times of the patients were evaluated and recorded.

Results: The mean age of the experimental group was 55.2±13.3 years, while the mean age of the control group was 60.4±10.6 years (p=0.015). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, bowel preparation and preoperative fasting times. It was observed that bowel sounds started earlier in the experimental group (70.8% on the first postoperative day) compared to the control group (46.2% on the first postoperative day) (X2=16.629; p=0.005). The first burping time measurements in the control group (x̄=46.415 hours) were higher than those in the experimental group (x̄=31.262 hours). Postoperative defecation time was longer in the control group (x̄=99.51 hours) than in the experimental group (x̄=61.611 hours).

Enrollment: 130 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 90 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• • Being older than 18 years
• Agreeing to participate in the study
• Undergoing a cardiac surgery
• Not having a barrier for communication
• Not having a mental or cognitive disability
• Not using constipation treatment (like laxatives or enemas)
• Having no history of constipation disorders or gastrointestinal surgery.

Exclusion criteria

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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130 participants in 2 patient groups

experiment

Experimental group

Description:

abdominal massage

Treatment:

Other: abdominal massage

control

No Intervention group

Description:

no intervention