Association Between Preoperative Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Postoperative Bowel Motility

Postoperative bowel motility is one of the most important indicators of recoveryfollowing abdominal surgery. Delayed gastrointestinal motility is associated withpostoperative ileus, prolonged hospital stay, delayed oral feeding, and increasedhealthcare costs. Several factors, including surgical stress, anesthesia, inflammation,and preoperative nutritional status, may influence the recovery of bowel function aftersurgery.The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes,whole grains, olive oil, nuts, and fish, and a low intake of red and processed meat. Thisdietary pattern provides dietary fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols,antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds that may improve gut microbiota composition,reduce inflammation, and support normal gastrointestinal function. Previous studies havedemonstrated beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet on gastrointestinal health;however, evidence regarding its association with postoperative bowel motility remainslimited.This prospective observational cohort study aims to investigate the association betweenpreoperative adherence to the Mediterranean diet and postoperative bowel motility inadults undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A total of 110 participants willbe enrolled after ethics committee approval. Preoperative nutritional status, dietaryintake, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet will be assessed using the MediterraneanDiet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), food frequency questionnaires, and three‐day dietaryrecords. Demographic, anthropometric, clinical, and perioperative data will also becollected.Postoperative bowel function will be prospectively evaluated by recording the time tofirst bowel sound, first passage of flatus, first defecation, first oral intake, andhospital discharge. Dietary nutrient intake will be analyzed using a nutrition analysissoftware program. The association between Mediterranean diet adherence and postoperativebowel motility outcomes will be examined using appropriate statistical methods. Thefindings are expected to improve understanding of the role of preoperative dietaryquality in postoperative gastrointestinal recovery and may contribute to optimizingperioperative nutritional management in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.