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Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) in improving bowel function and thus shortening hospital stay after laparoscopic colon surgery within the ERAS pathway.
Patients and Methods
From November 2016 to March 2018, 100 patients who underwent elective colon surgery were enrolled and 94 finished study (n = 47 for each) in three university hospitals. Patients in the TEAS group received TEAS 30 min before surgery and once a day for 3 days after surgery, while those in the Control Group received no stimulation. Primary outcome was the time to discharge.
Results
Compared with standardized postoperative care, TEAS resulted in a shorter time to first flatus (P=0.03) and time to first defecation (P=0.03), as well as a reduction in the length of hospital stay (P=0.02). Median patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) deliveries and PCA attempts at 24h, 48h and 72h after surgery were less in the TEAS group (P<0.01). No evidence of significant advantages in postoperative pain intensity, nausea, vomiting, sleeping quality and expenses was found in the TEAS group.
Conclusion
Perioperative TEAS further shortens the time to meet discharge criteria after laparoscopic colon surgery in patients under ERAS strategy.
Data Sharing Statement
Data related to the specific manuscript will be made available upon reasonable request in adherence with transparency conventions in medical research and through requests to the corresponding author ([email protected]).
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Min Chen and Genlin Ji for supporting the anesthesia for the patients, Jielai Xia for suggesting the methods of statistical analysis and critical reading of the manuscript.
Disclosure
The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work.