Effect of Sham Feeding on Postoperative Ileus After Elective Liver Transplantation

Seoul National University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Postoperative Ileus

Treatments: Other: Control; Other: gum chewing

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01956643

ShamLT

Details and patient eligibility

About

Postoperative ileus is a common after abdominal surgery. Multifactorial etiology such as surgical trauma, bowel manipulation and perioperative opioids contributes to delayed return of normal gut function Chewing gum has recently been used as a form of sham feeding to stimulate acceleration of gut function after abdominal surgery.

The investigators hypothesize that sham feeding with chewing gum will accelerate return of gut function after liver transplantation.

Enrollment: 70 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• elective liver transplantation surgery
• an ability to chew gum

Exclusion criteria

• emergency surgery
• age less than 18 years,
• inability to provide written informed consent
• an inability to chew gum
• hepaticojejunostomy
• sedated patients
• reintubated patients
• Glasgow Coma Scale <13
• reoperation before gas out
• previous bowel surgery

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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70 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

gum chewing

Experimental group

Description:

Gum type was standardized with all subjects receiving sugar-free xylitol gum. The patients in the chewing gum group, gum chewing began the morning of postoperative day 1. Patients chewed gum (two tablets) 3 times daily in the morning, afternoon, and evening for 15 min. The administration of the therapy was implemented by ICU nurses and recorded in the clinical report form file. All gum-chewing patients completed their course of gum chewing until gas out.

Treatment:

Other: gum chewing

Control

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Routine care during NPO

Treatment:

Other: Control