ABSTRACT
Objective:
To observe the effect of
electroacupuncture (EA) at different
time points during the
perioperative period on the recovery of gastrointestinal function after gastrointestinal
malignant neoplasms surgery.
Methods:
Sixty-three
patients who needed radical
surgery for gastrointestinal
tumors were randomized into a
control group,
treatment group 1 (postoperative EA group), and
treatment group 2 (intraoperative and postoperative EA group). The
control group received
surgery and conventional Western
medicine treatment, and
treatment groups 1 and 2 received additional EA
treatment at different
time points. The initial
flatus time after the
surgery,
visual analog scale (VAS) score at different
time points after the
surgery, the proportion of using
patient-controlled analgesia (
PCA) after the
surgery, and the times of adding
analgesics were observed in the three groups.
Results:
The initial
flatus time after the
surgery was earlier in
treatment groups 1 and 2 than in the
control group (P<0.05); the difference between
treatment groups 1 and 2 was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). The VAS score was lower in
treatment group 2 than in the
control group at 6, 12, 24, and 72 h after the
surgery (P<0.05); the VAS score was lower in
treatment group 1 than in the
control group only at 72 h after the
surgery (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the rate of using
PCA among the three groups (P>0.05). Regarding the times of adding
analgesics, it was less in
treatment group 2 than in the
control group at 12 h after the
surgery (P<0.05).
Conclusion:
Either EA during and after the
surgery or only after the
surgery can hasten the initial
flatus and boost the recovery of gastrointestinal function in
patients after radical resection of
gastrointestinal neoplasms. Successive EA during and after the
surgery should be superior to postoperative EA regarding the
analgesic effect after the
surgery.