Postoperative pain following intraoperative acupuncture: a randomized‑controlled study

This study examined the impact of an integrative oncology intervention on postoperative care, primarily postoperative pain, in patients undergoing gynaecological oncology surgery.

Participants were randomised to three groups: group A, preoperative touch/relaxation modalities, followed by intraoperative acupuncture; group B, preoperative touch/relaxation only and group C, standard conventional care alone. Using an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol, medical personnel retrospectively assessed pain on each postoperative day (POD), using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS; 0, no pain; 10, most severe pain). Use of analgesics, bowel movements, urination and number of days until discharge were also assessed.

A total of 102 patients participated, with similar baseline demographic and surgery-related characteristics among the three groups (group A, 45; group B, 25 and group C, 32). Group A patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery reported significantly lower pain scores on POD1 than group C (p=0.018). Group B patients undergoing open laparotomy were discharged earlier than group C (p=0.031). No significant between-group differences were found for VAS pain scales, use of analgesics or report of first postoperative bowel movement or urination.

This prospective, controlled and pragmatic ERAS-based study suggests that intraoperative acupuncture may reduce postoperative pain on POD1, in patients undergoing laparoscopic gynaecological oncology surgery. The findings differ from a previous study which found no effect of acupuncture on pain-related haemodynamic parameters during laparoscopy. Further research using objective nociception parameters is needed to explore the effect of intraoperative acupuncture on postoperative pain.

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03560388).