Skip to content

Implementing a Low Fiber Diet vs. Regular Diet in Postoperative Colorectal Patients With Ileostomies

A Prospective Randomized Trial of Low Fiber Diet vs. Regular Diet in Postoperative Colorectal Patients With Ileostomies

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04675606
Enrollment
160
Registered
2020-12-19
Start date
2020-10-21
Completion date
2023-12-31
Last updated
2022-10-24

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Ileostomy; Complications, Bowel Obstruction, Postoperative Ileus

Keywords

Ileostomy, Bowel obstruction, Postoperative ileus, Low fiber diet, Regular diet

Brief summary

The primary objective of this study is to prospectively evaluate rate of post-operative ileus or obstruction in patients with ileostomies receiving low fiber diet vs. regular diet starting post-operative day 1. The secondary objectives of this study are to compare the 30-day and 90-day readmission rates, length of stay, rate of high stoma output or need for antidiarrheals within 90 days, nausea score, level of pain, and overall quality of life amongst the patients studied.

Detailed description

The proposed study is a prospective randomized study to compare two post-operative diets 1. Low fiber diet 2. Regular diet in patients undergoing elective or urgent colorectal surgery resulting in a loop or end ileostomy. The primary outcome measure is rate of post-operative ileus or obstruction in patients with ileostomies. The secondary objectives of this study are to compare the length of stay, 30-day and 90-day readmission rates, rate of high stoma output requiring antidiarrheal medication, nausea score, pain score, and overall quality of life amongst the patients studied. All groups will be counseled and asked to consent for the study at the time of their preoperative clinic visit and copy of the protocol will be provided to them. Patients undergoing urgent surgery will be counseled and consented at the time decision for surgery is made. All groups will be started on either low fiber diet or regular diet on postoperative day 1. Of note, it is important to note that at our institution, a low fiber diet is equivalent to a low residue diet in our electronic medical records system. All groups will be assessed and examined daily, where nausea score and pain score will be recorded. Prior to discharge, both groups will receive consultation with a wound-ostomy care nurse who will perform ostomy teaching as well as diet/nutritional counseling. Patients in the low fiber diet arm will receive nutritional counseling advising that they follow a low fiber diet. Patients in the regular diet arm will receive nutritional counseling advising that they continue to follow a regular diet.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALRegular diet

Patients in the regular diet arm (which is the experimental arm) will not have any diet limitations and will be recommended to consume a healthy balanced diet for American adults as recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

BEHAVIORALLow fiber diet

Patients in the low fiber diet arm (which is the control arm) will be recommended to consume foods that are low in fiber content per United Ostomy Associations of America Recommendations

Sponsors

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. Male or Female 2. Undergoing elective or urgent major laparoscopic or open colorectal procedure resulting in new loop or end ileostomy creation 3. Urgent colorectal surgery is defined as operations performed during the same hospital admission, but greater than 24hrs after decision for surgery is made. Patients undergoing urgent colorectal surgery are not expected to require intensive care unit (ICU) admission postoperatively. 4. Willingness and ability to sign an informed consent document 5. No allergies to anesthetic or antiemetic 6. ASA physical status Class I - III 7. Aged 18-90 years

Exclusion criteria

1. Refusal to participate in the study 2. Undergoing emergent colorectal surgery. Emergent colorectal surgery is defined as patients who require immediate surgery \< 24hrs after initial decision for surgery is made 3. Patients expected to require intensive care unit (ICU) admission postoperatively 4. Age \<18 or \> 90 years 5. Pregnancy 6. Patient with preoperative short-bowel syndrome or proximal stomas (jejunostomy) 7. Patients on preoperative total parenteral nutrition not expected to immediately commence postoperative enteral nutrition 8. Patients maintained NPO for any reason after surgery

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Rate of postoperative ileus and obstruction90 days postoperativelyevaluate rate of post-operative ileus or obstruction in patients with ileostomies receiving low fiber diet vs. regular diet starting post-operative day 1.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Hospital readmission rates90 days postoperativelyHospital readmission rates
Volume of stoma output90 days postoperativelyAverage daily volume of stoma output
Need for antidiarrheal use90 days postoperativelyNeed for antidiarrheal use
Hospital length of stayUp to 90 days postoperativelyHospital length of stay
Average maximum daily pain score90 days postoperativelyAverage maximum daily pain score on a scale of 0 to 10. A score of 0 means a patient has no pain. A higher score up to the maximum of 10 means a worse outcome.
Quality of life90 days postoperativelyQuality of life assessed using the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) questionnaire. The GIQLI questionnaire has 36 items, each item is scored 0 to 4. The GIQLI has a range of 0 to 144. Higher score up to a maximum of 144 means better outcome.
Average maximum daily nausea score90 days postoperativelyAverage maximum daily nausea score on a scale of 0 to 2. A score of 0 means no presence of nausea, 1 denotes presence of nausea, and 2 denotes presence of vomiting. A higher score up to a maximum of 2 means a worse outcome compared to a lower score.

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactLucille Yao, MD
lucille.yao@cshs.org310-289-9224
Backup ContactKaren Zaghiyan, MD
karen.zaghiyan@cshs.org310-289-9224

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026