Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of bilateral Taichong (LR 3), Yan-glingquan (GB 34), Waiguan (TE 5) and Chize (LU 5) on pain and post-surgical gastrointestinal reactions in patients undergoing pneumectomy.
Methods: Sixty patients with pneumectomy were randomly divided into EA group (30 cases) and control group (30 cases). For patients of the EA group, EA stimulation (2 Hz, 3 - 5 mA) was applied to bilateral LR 3, GB 34, TE 5 and LU 5 once every 12 h in the following two days after the surgery. For patients of the control group, the filiform needles were just adhered to the abovementioned acupoints without electrical stimulation. In addition, patients of both groups were treated first with lower dose of anesthetics including Fentanyl (250 μg) + Flurbiprofen axetil (25 mg) + normal saline (i. v., 2 mL/h), and Sauteralgyl (muscular injection if necessary). The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for measuring the patients' pain reaction at 24(th) h and 48(th) h after surgery. The contents of plasma β-endorphine (EP) and leu-enkephalin were assayed by ELISA, the times of vomiting and nausea, and the time of postoperative exhaust and defecation were recorded.
Results: Compared with the control group, the VAS score at 48 h after surgery, and the dosage of the supplemented Sauteralgyl were evidently lower, and the time of both exhaust and defecation after surgery was significantly earlier, and the degree of nausea after surgery was obviously milder in patients of the EA group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with 0 h post-operation, the β-endorphin and leu-enkephalin levels were significantly increased in the EA group (P<0.01). No significant difference was found between the control and EA groups in the vomiting rating (P>0.05).
Conclusion: EA intervention combined with anesthetics is effective in reducing the dosage of the supplemented Sauteralgyl and the degree of postoperative nausea, and in improving postoperative gastrointestinal functional recovery in patients undergoing pneumectomy.