Effects of a Mobilization Program Applied to Bariatric Surgery Patients on Preventing Gastrointestinal Complications: a Quasi-Experimental Study.

Abstract

To investigate the effects of a planned early targeted mobilization program applied to patients that underwent bariatric surgery with the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy method on gastrointestinal complications (nausea-vomiting, abdominal distention, delayed flatus-defecation, and intolerance of early oral intake). This prospective, controlled group, quasi-experimental design study was conducted between July 2019 and March 2020 in the general surgery clinic of a training and research hospital with 70 patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy and met the inclusion criteria. The prepared mobilization program was applied to the patients on the 0th, 1st, and 2nd postoperative days, and the gastrointestinal functions of the patients were monitored. The intervention group had a significantly shorter time to first flatus, defecation, and oral intake; higher frequency of defecation; lower pain, abdominal distention, and nausea; better tolerance of oral intake; and higher total oral intake compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Planned, early, and targeted mobilization was determined to be a feasible, safe, and cost-effective nursing intervention to prevent gastrointestinal complications in patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy.