The Effect of Abdominal Massage Applied After Surgery

This research is carried out by research assistant Semiha Kurt under the supervision of Associate Professor Nuray TURAN.In this research aimed to examine the effect of abdominal massage applied after surgical ıntervention on gastrointestinal symptoms and comfort level. The type of this study designed as randomized controlled experimental. The research hypotheses are as follows; H1: Abdominal massage applied after surgery reduces the gastrointestinal symptoms of patients.H2: Abdominal massage applied after surgery increases the comfort level of patients.The population of the research will consist patients who were hospitalized and underwent surgical intervention between January 2023 and July 2024 in the Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic of the Istanbul Medical Faculty Hospital in Istanbul.The sample of the research will consist patients who cannot defecate for 3 days after surgery and who meet other sample selection criteria.As a result of the power analysis (G*Power 3.0.10); at least 34 samples found to be sufficient for each group with f=0.20 effect size, 90% power and 5% margin of error (n1:34, n2:34). The number of samples determined as 68 (including the experimental and control groups).Data will be collected through the Patient Information Form, Bristol Stool Scale, Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, General Comfort Scale, and Functional Independence Scale. The patient information form was prepared by the researchers in line with the literature. Permission was obtained from the scale owners for the scales to be used in the study.In the implementation phase of the research; in the formation of the experimental and control groups, the assignment of the patients to the experimental and control groups will be provided by randomization in the computer. Abdominal massage will be applied to the patients in the experimental group twice a day, in the morning and evening, for 3 days. Each abdominal massage will be applied for 15 minutes. The routine practice of the clinic will continue in the patients in the control group.Institutional permission from Istanbul Medical Faculty and ethics committee approval (Number: E-74555795-050.01.04-412448) from Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee obtained in order to conduct the study. Statistical analysis of research data will be done using a package program called SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics 24). The expenses of the research will be covered by the researcher.

Inclusion Criteria:18 years of age and above,Being conscious and cooperative,Being able to read, write and speak Turkish, not have any cognitive, sensory and spiritual problems,Not being pregnant,The vital signs are within normal limits after the surgical intervention,Failure to defecate for the first 3 days after the surgical intervention,Not using pharmacological and non-pharmacological agents with laxative effect after the surgical intervention,Continuing inpatient care and treatment in the orthopedics and traumatology clinic for at least 6 days,His willingness and volunteering to participate in the study was included.Exclusion Criteria:Be less than 18 years old,Not knowing how to read, write and speak Turkish,Having any cognitive, sensory and spiritual problems,Presence of conditions that prevent the application of abdominal massage (hernia, bowel cancer, history of abdominal surgery and Myocardial Infarction (MI), presence of ileostomy or colostomy and bleeding, etc.),Being pregnantThe vital signs are not within normal limits after the surgical intervention,Defecation in the first 3 days after the surgical intervention and using any pharmacological or non-pharmacological agent with laxative effect in this process, Continuing inpatient care and treatment in the orthopedics and traumatology clinic for less than 6 days,Not willing to participate in the study.