Effects of Checkpoint Acupuncture on Postoperative Pain Following Intestinal Surgery: A Feasibility Study

Area of Science:

• Surgical recovery
• Pain management
• Integrative medicine

Background:

• Acupuncture (AC) shows potential for pain relief with few side effects.
• High-quality feasibility data for AC in surgical settings is limited.
• This study focuses on AC implementation in patients post-intestinal surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of implementing acupuncture (AC) in patients after intestinal surgery.
• To explore the effects of AC on postoperative pain-related outcomes.
• To evaluate the safety of AC in the immediate postoperative period.

Main Methods:

• 42 patients undergoing intestinal surgery with postoperative abdominal pain (VAS ≥3) were enrolled.
• Acupuncture (AC) was administered once to the most sensitive abdominal region (G1-G6).
• Pain was assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS), pressure pain threshold (PPT), and skin temperature at baseline and 24 hours post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Acupuncture (AC) was successfully implemented in 72% of screened patients, with 86% providing complete data.
• No serious adverse events were reported during the AC intervention.
• Significant reductions in VAS pain scores were observed at 5 minutes (74% median reduction), 1 hour, and 24 hours post-AC (p < 0.0001).
• Abdominal pressure pain threshold improved significantly (p = 0.022), while skin temperature remained unchanged.

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture (AC) implementation is feasible and safe in the immediate postoperative setting after intestinal surgery.
• Acupuncture (AC) demonstrates potential analgesic effects in this patient group.
• Further randomized, blinded trials are warranted to confirm these findings.