Gut instinct: listening to bowel sounds may reveal hidden clues about surgical recovery

NCT ID NCT07705139

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 15, 2026 · Last updated Jul 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looks at whether monitoring bowel sounds before and after colorectal cancer surgery can help doctors assess how well the intestines are recovering. Researchers will track 172 patients and compare bowel sound patterns with outcomes like time to first gas, ability to eat, and complications such as bowel blockage. The goal is to see if this simple, non-invasive method could become a useful tool for guiding postoperative care.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If successful, this could lead to a simple, non-invasive way to monitor recovery after colorectal surgery and potentially reduce complications.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, so it cannot prove cause and effect. The results may not change current practice without further validation.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 172 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Feb 2026

Expected to finish

Jul 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

This study enrolls patients scheduled to undergo curative surgery for colorectal cancer.

Ages

18 to 90 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 18-80 years. * Histopathologically confirmed colorectal adenocarcinoma according to the WHO 2022 classification. * No restriction on prior neoadjuvant or other antitumor therapies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy. * Able to understand the study requirements and voluntarily provide written informed consent (patient and/or legally authorized representative). * Able to communicate effectively with the investigators and willing to comply with all study procedures, including postoperative management and follow-up. Exclusion Criteria: * Significant organ dysfunction indicating inability to tolerate surgery or an unacceptably high perioperative risk, including: * Severe cardiac dysfunction (NYHA Class III or IV). * Severe hepatic dysfunction (MELD score \>12). * Severe renal dysfunction (eGFR \<30 mL/min/1.73 m² \[CKD stage 4-5\] or end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis). * Severe pulmonary dysfunction (resting PaO₂ \<60 mmHg on room air or respiratory failure requiring long-term oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation). * Participation in another clinical study within 4 weeks before enrollment or concurrent participation in another interventional clinical study. * Emergency surgery required because of intestinal obstruction, perforation, or other acute abdominal conditions. * Severe psychiatric disorders that would interfere with compliance with perioperative management or follow-up. * Pregnant or breastfeeding women. * Any other clinical or laboratory abnormality that, in the opinion of the investigator, would make the participant unsuitable for the study.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

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  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University

    RECRUITING

    Wuhan, Hubei, China

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