The Effect of Preoperative Chewing Gum on Anxiety and Postoperative Sore Throat in Patients Using a Laryngeal Mask Airway: A Randomized Controlled Trial

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of preoperative chewing gum on anxiety levels and postoperative sore throat in patients undergoing breast surgery using a laryngeal mask airway. METHOD: This study was conducted in the Anaesthesia and Reanimation Department of a training and research hospital. Patients in the intervention group (n = 46) were instructed to chew gum for 2 min during the preoperative period, whereas the control group (n = 47) received standard nursing care. Anxiety levels were assessed using the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale during premedication and immediately before surgery. Post-extubation, the severity of sore throat was measured via the Visual Analogue Scale, whereas the presence of cough and hoarseness was recorded. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of postoperative sore throat and cough at the second, fourth and sixth hours (p > 0.05). However, at the second postoperative hour, the incidence of hoarseness was significantly higher in the control group (p = 0.004). There was no difference between the groups in terms of hoarseness at the fourth and sixth hours after surgery (p > 0.05). Immediately before surgery, the control group exhibited significantly higher total Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale scores (p = 0.047) and anxiety subscale scores (p = 0.023). There was no significant difference between groups in the information requirement subscale (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Preoperative chewing gum effectively reduces anxiety levels before breast surgery. Although it does not significantly alleviate postoperative sore throat, it appears to reduce hoarseness 2 h post-extubation. As a simple and non-pharmacological intervention, chewing gum is recommended for managing preoperative anxiety. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT06168981.