Application of mirabilite in gastrointestinal surgery: A randomized controlled trial

doi:10.4240/wjgs.118317

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Publication Name

World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery

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1948-9366

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

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Randomized Controlled Trial

Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Gastrointest Surg. Jun 27, 2026; 18(6): 118317
Published online Jun 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.118317

Application of mirabilite in gastrointestinal surgery: A randomized controlled trial

Tai-Yuan Li, Rui-Xiang Zou, Fang-Zheng Min, A-Long Luo, Shan-Ping Ye

Tai-Yuan Li, Rui-Xiang Zou, Fang-Zheng Min, A-Long Luo, Shan-Ping Ye, Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330000, Jiangxi Province, China

Co-first authors: Tai-Yuan Li and Rui-Xiang Zou.

Author contributions: Li TY and Zou RX wrote the paper and they contributed equally to this manuscript and are co-first authors; Li TY and Ye SP designed the trials, proofread and revised the manuscript; Li TY, Zou RX, Min FZ, Luo AL, and Ye SP, collected the data and conducted the analysis of pooled data. All authors have read and approved the final version to be published.

AI contribution statement: The AI detection result (> 30%) likely reflects the use of DeepL and Grammarly for initial language polishing and translation assistance, which is common among non-native English authors. Crucially, no AI tool was used to generate any scientific content.

Supported by Jiangxi Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Plan Project, No. 2023B0925.

Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations, including the Declaration of Helsinki.

Clinical trial registration statement: This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. The registration identification No. NCT06696729.

Informed consent statement: All study participants or their legal guardian provided informed written consent about personal and medical data collection prior to study enrolment.

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

CONSORT 2010 statement: The authors have read the CONSORT 2010 Statement, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CONSORT 2010 Statement.

Data sharing statement: Access to the database can be obtained from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Corresponding author: Shan-Ping Ye, MD, PhD, Chief Physician, Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, No. 17 Yongwaizheng Street, Nanchang 330000, Jiangxi Province, China. ndyfy08807@ncu.edu.cn

Received: December 30, 2025
Revised: January 29, 2026
Accepted: March 18, 2026
Published online: June 27, 2026
Processing time: 167 Days and 16.6 Hours

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal surgeries often require auxiliary incisions, which may lead to postoperative complications such as surgical site infections (SSIs) and fat liquefaction of the abdominal wall. This inevitably leads to prolonged hospital stays and increased treatment costs. External application of mirabilite, believed to work through its hypertonic property that draws out edema fluid and modulates local inflammation, helps reduce swelling in the surgical area.

AIM

To prospectively evaluate the effects of topical mirabilite application on postoperative complications and short-term recovery in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.

METHODS

This prospective randomized controlled trial included gastrointestinal surgery patients. Eligible participants were randomly allocated to two groups (1:1 ratio). The mirabilite group received topical mirabilite to the abdomen combined with routine wound dressing, while the control group received routine wound dressing only. The primary outcomes were the incidence of SSI and the time to first flatus. Secondary outcomes included postoperative inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein), pain scores, drainage volume, length of hospital stay, and other postoperative complications.

RESULTS

From October 2023 to April 2024, 332 eligible patients were recruited, with 301 patients completing the study and undergoing final analysis. The clinicopathological characteristics were well balanced between the two groups. The mirabilite group had a lower incidence of SSI (P = 0.042). Compared to the control group, the mirabilite group had a significantly earlier time to first flatus (38 hours vs 57 hours, P < 0.001), shorter postoperative hospital stays (8.5 days vs 9.0 days, P = 0.028), lower C-reactive protein levels (P = 0.038), lower pain scores over 3 days (P = 0.027), significantly lower drainage volume within 7 days (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that topical application of mirabilite may reduce the incidence of wound complications. mirabilite appears to facilitate the recovery of gastrointestinal function in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.

Keywords: Mirabilite; Gastrointestinal surgery; Surgical site infection; Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction; C-reactive protein

Core Tip: This randomized controlled trial provides robust evidence that the topical application of mirabilite, a traditional external therapy, is a simple yet effective adjunct to standard postoperative care in gastrointestinal surgery. The treatment demonstrates multifaceted benefits: It significantly accelerates recovery of gastrointestinal function, reduces postoperative pain and systemic inflammation, decreases drainage volume, and lowers the incidence of surgical site infections. These clinically meaningful outcomes led to a shorter hospital stay, highlighting mirabilite’s potential to improve patient recovery and optimize healthcare efficiency. Mirabilite application represents a safe, practical, and valuable non-invasive strategy to enhance short-term surgical recovery.