The Food Network Effect

The Food Network Effect: A Study of Food Related Visual Stimuli and Postoperative Gastrointestinal Recovery

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if exposure to food related visual stimuli during the postoperative period can improve gastrointestinal recovery after abdominal surgery in adult patients.The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does structured exposure to food related television programming shorten the time to return of bowel function after surgery?
2. Does exposure to food related visual stimuli reduce postoperative ileus and improve recovery related outcomes such as hospital length of stay, appetite, patient satisfaction, and medication use?

Researchers will compare patients receiving structured food related programming during meal periods with patients receiving standard postoperative care to see if food related visual stimulation improves postoperative gastrointestinal recovery.

Participants will:

• Be randomly assigned to either a food-programming group or a standard care group
• Watch food-related television programming for at least 15 minutes during scheduled meal-time periods if assigned to the intervention group
• Have daily collection of routine postoperative information, including bowel function, medication use, and diet progression
• Complete brief optional questions regarding appetite and satisfaction during hospitalization

Postoperative ileus and delayed return of gastrointestinal function remain common complications following abdominal surgery and contribute to patient discomfort, prolonged hospitalization, and increased healthcare utilization. Despite advances in perioperative management and implementation of enhanced recovery protocols, impaired bowel function after surgery continues to affect recovery. Early enteral stimulation has been associated with improved gastrointestinal recovery; however, many patients experience appetite suppression or difficulty tolerating oral intake during the immediate postoperative period.

Digestive activity is influenced by the cephalic phase response, a physiologic process in which sensory cues associated with food can activate neural pathways involved in digestion prior to food consumption. Visual food cues have been shown to affect appetite and physiologic responses related to feeding behavior, suggesting a potential mechanism through which noninvasive sensory stimulation could influence postoperative gastrointestinal recovery.

This study evaluates a structured behavioral intervention using food-related television programming during peri-meal periods as an adjunct to routine postoperative care. Participants will be prospectively randomized to receive either scheduled exposure to food-related visual stimuli or standard postoperative care. The intervention is designed to provide a simple, low-cost, non-pharmacologic strategy that can be implemented using existing hospital resources without altering routine clinical management.

The findings from this study may provide insight into whether sensory stimulation through visual food exposure can enhance postoperative recovery and serve as a scalable adjunct to current perioperative care practices

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients aged ≥18 years
• Undergoing abdominal surgery (including general, colorectal, trauma, or surgical oncology procedures) requiring inpatient post operative admission
• Able to participate in the intervention, including engaging with television based stimuli
• Able to follow simple instructions in the postoperative period

Exclusion Criteria:

• Critical illness requiring ICU-level care beyond the immediate postoperative period
• Mechanical ventilation (intubated patients)
• Requirement for high-level non-invasive ventilation (BiPAP for respiratory failure)
• Hemodynamic instability requiring vasopressor support
• Life support measures, including continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) or ECMO
• Altered mental status impairing participation (delirium requiring restraints)
• Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) < 13 or inability to follow commands