Massage for gastrointestinal function among participants after abdominal surgery: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (PGD) is one of the most common complications among participants undergoing abdominal surgery, with an incidence of 10%–30%. In China, massage is generally the most widely used technique to treat various diseases by the theory of Yin and Yang. In this study, our aim is to assess the effect and safety of massage on gastrointestinal function among participants undergoing abdominal surgery. METHODS: We will search seven databases including Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI, VIP, CBM and WANGFANG. Meanwhile, we will include all randomized controlled trials if they recruited participants undergoing abdominal surgery. Primary outcomes will be the time to first defecation. Two authors will independently scan all the potential articles, extract the data and assess the risk of bias by Cochrane tool of risk of bias. Al analysis will be performed by RevMan 5.3 software. Dichotomous variables will be expressed as RR with 95% CIs and continuous variables will be reported as MD with 95% CIs. If possible, a fixed or random effects models will be conducted and the confidence of cumulative evidence will be assess using GRADE. RESULTS: This study will be to assess the effect and safety of massage on gastrointestinal function among participants undergoing abdominal surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This study will assess the effect and safety of massage among participants undergoing abdominal and move forward to help inform clinical decisions.