Chewing gum versus heat therapy for postoperative recovery in patients undergoing gynecologic oncology surgery: A...

To investigate the effects of chewing gum and heat therapy on postoperative pain, bowel function, and patient comfort following gynecological oncological surgery.

A single-blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 84 women assigned to three groups: chewing gum, heat therapy, and control. The chewing gum group chewed sugar-free gum three times daily postoperatively, while the heat therapy group received a 10 min warm compress twice daily. Primary outcomes were time to first bowel movement and passage of flatus. Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain, measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and patient comfort, assessed using the General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ). Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis H test with Bonferroni-adjusted post-hoc comparisons and the Mann Whitney U test, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Chewing gum significantly shortened the time to first bowel movement and passage of flatus, and was also associated with shorter discharge time and higher comfort scores (p < 0.05). However, it did not significantly affect postoperative pain. Heat therapy showed no statistically significant effect on bowel function, pain, or comfort compared with standard care (p > 0.05).

In this single-center randomized controlled trial, chewing gum appears to be an effective, low-cost, and well-tolerated nursing intervention that promotes gastrointestinal recovery and enhances comfort in postoperative gynecologic oncology patients. In contrast, heat therapy applied to the lumbar region did not demonstrate a benefit over standard care.