Electroacupuncture Speeds Up Operation Recovery
Electroacupuncture is among the newest forms of acupuncture treatment that is currently used for varying conditions. This technique involves stimulating two needles at a time so that the impulses can be passed on from one needle to another. Several studies have shown how electroacupuncture can be as effective as the traditional technique. Another study attests to this.
A research team from Chinese University of Hong Kong investigated the efficacy of electroacupuncture in speeding up the recovery of patients who had postoperative ileus after undergoing laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer. Postoperative ileus, which affects many patients undergoing bowel resection surgery, is a malfunction of intestinal motility which can cause severe discomfort and prolonged hospital stay.
The researchers performed a prospective study of 165 patients from 2008 to 2010. Patients were assigned randomly into three groups. The first group received electroacupuncture treatment while the second received sham acupuncture once daily during the postoperative days, and the third did not receive any treatment at all.
Improved Condition
Those who were given electroacupuncture took significantly shorter average time for their first postoperative bowel movement (85.9h) as compared to those who received sham acupuncture (122.1h) and those who did not (107.5h).
The researchers also noticed that electroacupuncture-treated patients had significantly shorter hospital stay (6.5 days) than those who did not receive acupuncture (8.5 days). They had reduced postoperative analgesic requirement and ambulation need.
Their findings, which were published in the journal Gastroenterology, suggest that electroacupuncture is effective than sham acupuncture or no acupuncture treatment in stimulating the early return of bowel function and reducing the need for postoperative analgesic. Nevertheless, the researchers called for more studies to validate their findings and the cost-effectiveness of electroacupuncture on laparoscopic colorectal surgery.
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