Evaluating the Effectiveness of Multi-Method, Multi-Target Acupoint Stimulation for Preventing Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
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Background:
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) remains a common complication following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).
Objective:
To evaluate efficacy of a Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupoint stimulation model in reducing PONV incidence and improving gastrointestinal recovery after LC.
Methods:
In this randomized controlled trial, 160 patients undergoing LC were assigned to standard care alone or standard care plus acupoint stimulation. After excluding 2 patients converted to open surgery, 79 patients in each group were analyzed. The intervention included transcutaneous electrical stimulation at Neiguan (PC6) and press needles at Hegu (LI4) and Zusanli (ST36). The primary outcome was PONV incidence and severity within 48 hours after surgery.
Results:
Compared with the control group, the intervention group had a higher proportion of patients without PONV (69.6% vs. 25.3%, P < 0.001) and a lower overall incidence of PONV (30.38% vs. 74.68%, P < 0.001). Time to first bowel movement was also shorter in the intervention group (1.96 ± 0.71 vs. 2.27 ± 0.92 days, P = 0.021). No significant differences were observed in time to first flatus or length of hospital stay.
Conclusion:
Multi-method, multi-target TCM acupoint stimulation reduced PONV after LC and modestly improved gastrointestinal recovery. This simple and well-tolerated approach may serve as an adjunct to multimodal PONV prevention.