Effect of Abdominal Massage on Excretory Activity and Pulmonary Function Tests in Patients After Surgery

Methods: The research will be carried out with 78 patients who underwent partial hip replacement. Patients were assigned to study (abdominal massage) and control groups by randomization. Abdominal massage will be applied to the patients at least 30 minutes after the morning and evening meals (08:30 in the morning, 20:30 in the evening) for 15 minutes, similar to the literature. Patients' data will be collected 15 minutes before and after the application of abdominal massage. Within the scope of the patient's data, information on pulmonary function test values, intra-abdominal pressure value and excretory activities will be collected. Abdominal massage will start in the evening of the day the patient is transferred to the clinic (20:30), and will be terminated when the patient defecates. No treatment will be applied to the patients in the control group. The data recorded before and after the abdominal massage in the study group will be recorded in the Excretory Activity Form and the Pulmonary Function Test Form as a result of the measurements made at the same time in the control group.

Inclusion criteria

• Having a urinary catheter for at least one day after surgery,
• Discharged at least 48 hours after surgery,
• Do not have any condition for which abdominal massage is contraindicated (inflammatory bowel disease, presence of abdominal tumor, surgical intervention or radiotherapy to the abdominal region, presence or suspicion of ileus, and pregnancy),
• No diagnosis of chronic constipation made by a physician,
• Who has not developed any respiratory tract complications (atelectasis, pneumonia, etc.) due to surgical intervention,
• No chronic respiratory disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnea syndrome, asthma, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, occupational lung diseases, etc.),
• Patients who do not have problems in transition to oral feeding and who can be fed orally will be included in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Urinary catheter removed within the first day after surgery,
• Discharged before 48 hours after surgery,
• Any condition in which abdominal massage is contraindicated (inflammatory bowel disease, presence of abdominal tumor, surgical intervention or radiotherapy to the abdominal region, presence or suspicion of ileus, and pregnancy),
• Having a diagnosis of constipation made by a physician,
• Having any respiratory complications (atelectasis, pneumonia, etc.) developed due to surgical intervention,
• Having chronic respiratory disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnea syndrome, asthma, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, occupational lung diseases, etc.),
• Patients who have problems in the transition to oral feeding and cannot be fed orally will not be included in the study.