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

Acupuncture (AC) has shown promising effects in alleviating pain, with minimal side effects, but high-quality feasibility data are lacking in surgical context. The primary aim of this feasibility study was to evaluate whether AC could be successfully implemented in patients after intestinal surgery, with secondary, exploratory assessment of pain-related outcomes.

Patients who had undergone intestinal surgery were assessed for eligibility if they exhibited abdominal pain with a visual analog scale (VAS) score of ≥3 during their postoperative visit. Based on the patients' most hypersensitive abdominal region, the so-called gastrointestinal checkpoint (G1-G6), AC was performed once using semipermanent needles. Evaluations were performed prior to the intervention and subsequently at 5 min, 1 h, and 24 h postintervention. The evaluation encompassed subjective pain levels using VAS, abdominal pain pressure threshold (PPT), and variations in abdominal skin temperature.

Of 58 patients screened, 42 (72%) were enrolled in this feasibility study and 36 (86%) provided complete data for analysis. All 36 participants received the AC intervention per protocol, and no serious adverse events were observed. Exploratory outcomes demonstrated a 74% median reduction in VAS pain at 5 min post-AC (p < 0.0001), with sustained decreases at 1 and 24 h (both p ≤ 0.0001). Abdominal pressure pain threshold improved over the observation period (p = 0.022), whereas skin temperature remained unchanged.

Implementation of AC in the immediate postoperative setting proved feasible and safe. AC may have potential analgesic effects after intestinal surgery, which should be examined in further randomized and blinded trials.