Perioperative medicine & outcomes
The effect of abdominal massage applied after surgery on gastrointestinal symptoms and comfort level
Authors' conclusion
Abdominal massage can replace pharmacologic methods, achieve similar effects, and increase patient comfort and independence.
Study context
- Population
- Orthopaedics and traumatology inpatients at a university hospital who did not defecate in the first 3 days after surgery, September 2022–September 2023
- Participants
- 68 participants
- Comparison
- Abdominal massage vs routine pharmacologic treatment
- Experimentaln = 34
- Controln = 34reference
- Primary endpoint
- Gastrointestinal symptoms (Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale) and comfort level (General Comfort Scale)
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Gastrointestinal symptoms and general comfort
- Severity of gastrointestinal symptoms decreased and general comfort level increased in both groups
- General Comfort Scale Coping with Problems subscale mean score significantly greater in Experimental vs Control
- Experimental vs Control: P < 0.05
Original publication
The effect of abdominal massage applied after surgery on gastrointestinal symptoms and comfort level. Perioper Med (Lond). Published 7 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →