COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF ONDANSETRON AND METOCLOPRAMIDE WITH POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING BARIATRIC SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY

Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are among the most common complications following bariatric sleeve gastrectomy. PONV can delay recovery, increase patient discomfort, prolong hospital stay, and negatively affect overall surgical outcomes. Ondansetron and metoclopramide are commonly used antiemetic agents for the prevention of PONV; however, their comparative effectiveness in bariatric surgery patients remains an important area of investigation.
Objective: To compare the effects of ondansetron and metoclopramide in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting among patients undergoing bariatric sleeve gastrectomy.
Methodology: A comparative cross-sectional study had conducted at Peshawar medical complex Peshawar, and Healthnet hospital Peshawar. the study period was from December 2025 to May 2026. the study includes 100 patients which are admitted for elective Bariatric sleeve gastrectomy. Patients were divided into two groups: Group O (Ondansetron, n = 50) and Group M (Metoclopramide, n = 50). The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was assessed at 2, 4, and 6 hours after surgery.A pre design Questionnaire was instrumented for data collection. Data were analyzed by R software version 4.6.1.
Results: Ondansetron demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing PONV compared with metoclopramide. At 2 hours postoperatively, nausea occurred in 16.0% of patients receiving ondansetron compared with 26.0% of patients receiving metoclopramide. By 6 hours, nausea was observed in 8.0% of the ondansetron group and 20.0% of the metoclopramide group. Similarly, vomiting at 6 hours occurred in 2.0% of patients receiving ondansetron compared with 10.0% of those receiving metoclopramide. Overall, the ondansetron group consistently showed lower rates of both nausea and vomiting at all assessed time points.
Conclusion: Ondansetron was more effective than metoclopramide in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting following Bariatric sleeve gastrectomy. The findings support the preferential use of ondansetron as a prophylactic antiemetic in bariatric surgery patients to improve postoperative recovery and patient comfort.