The effect of early oral postoperative feeding on the recovery of intestinal motility after gastrointestinal surgery: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Given the ever-shorter length of hospital stay after surgical procedures, nowadays it is more important than ever to study interventions that may have an impact on surgical patients’ wellbeing. According to the ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols) program, early feeding must be considered one of the key components to facilitate early recovery while improving outcomes and patients’ overall experiences. To date, the international literature has reported that early postoperative feeding compared with traditional (or late) timing is safe; nevertheless, small clinical outcomes effects has been reported, also for recovery of gastrointestinal function. Therefore, the effectiveness of early postoperative feeding to reduce postoperative ileus duration remains still debated. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the effects of early versus delayed oral feeding (liquids and food) on the recovery of intestinal motility after gastrointestinal surgery. SEARCH METHODS: Pubmed, Embase, Cinahl, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and the ClincalTrials.gov register will be searched to identify the RCTs of interest. STUDY INCLUSION: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing the effect of early postoperative versus late oral feeding on major postoperative outcomes after gastrointestinal surgery will be included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors will independently screen titles and abstracts to determine the initially selected studies’ inclusion. Any disagreements will be resolved through discussion and consulting a third review author. The research team members will then proceed with the methodological evaluation of the studies and their eligibility for inclusion in the systematic review.