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Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients
Jing Zhao1, Yue-Zong Lv2, Li Xue3
1Department of Anesthesiology, Jiashan First People's Hospital, Jiaxing, China.
Background:
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) remains a frequent challenge for patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is increasingly utilized as a needle-free, neuromodulatory adjunct in perioperative care. Although a prior meta-analysis evaluated TEAS for PONV across general surgical populations, breast surgery-specific evidence remains lacking. This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of TEAS for preventing PONV and enhancing early recovery in this specific surgical population.
Methods:
We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and three Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, Wanfang) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing perioperative TEAS with sham stimulation or routine care, up to March 10, 2026. The primary outcome was overall PONV incidence. Secondary outcomes included postoperative nausea, vomiting, pain scores, and early recovery quality (QoR). Data were synthesized using RevMan 5.4, and the certainty of evidence was assessed with GRADE.
Results:
Fifteen RCTs comprising 1,752 patients were included. TEAS significantly reduced overall PONV risk [RR = 0.61, 95% CI (0.49, 0.77), P < 0.01] with no heterogeneity (I2 = 0%). Patients receiving TEAS also experienced lower postoperative nausea, vomiting, pain scores, reduced need for rescue antiemetics, and improved early QoR scores.
Conclusion:
TEAS might be an effective and non-pharmacological adjunct for reducing PONV and supporting early recovery in breast cancer surgery. These findings support its integration into perioperative care, although further large-scale, sham-controlled RCTs are warranted to establish standardized protocols.
Systematic Review Registration:
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261333755.
