Zapping the vagus nerve may help patients ditch the stomach tube faster
NCT ID NCT06648759
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a vagal nerve stimulator device to see if it can reduce how long patients need a nasogastric (NG) tube after abdominal surgery. The NG tube is used to relieve pressure from a common complication called postoperative ileus, but it can cause pain and discomfort. Sixty adults undergoing colorectal or other major abdominal surgery at UPMC Shadyside will be randomly assigned to receive either active or sham stimulation, and researchers will measure the total time the NG tube is in place.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Vagal nerve stimulator device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to shorten the time patients need a nasogastric tube after abdominal surgery, reducing pain and hospital stays.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The device may not work better than a placebo, and some patients may not benefit.
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.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2024
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (18 and older) undergoing laparoscopic or open colorectal surgery, or any major abdominal surgeries at UPMC Shadyside * Development of post-operative ileus * Anticipation of a nasogastric (ng) tube being placed Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant subjects * Subjects who are unable to read, write, or speak English fluently * Subjects who have a developmental or neurological disorder and are not cognitively able to provide consent
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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
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UPMC Shadyside Hospital
RECRUITINGPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15232, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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