TEAS significantly reduces overall PONV risk in patients undergoing breast surgery compared to sham stimulation or routine care

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Frontiers in Medicine Published June 4, 2026 Medically reviewed June 4, 2026 Study authors: Jing Zhao, Yue-zong Lv, Li Xue, Qi-hong Shen DOI ↗ By Dr. Julia Lee, PhD · Oncology, Genomics & Drug Development

Key Takeaway

Consider TEAS as a non-pharmacological adjunct to reduce PONV risk in breast surgery patients.

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) as an adjunct for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing breast surgery. The analysis included 1,752 participants and compared TEAS against sham stimulation or routine care. The primary outcome was overall PONV incidence, while secondary outcomes included postoperative nausea, vomiting, pain scores, early recovery quality, and the need for rescue antiemetics.

The pooled analysis demonstrated that TEAS significantly reduced overall PONV risk with a relative risk of 0.61 (95% CI 0.49, 0.77; P < 0.01). The review also found lower rates of postoperative nausea and vomiting, reduced pain scores, improved early recovery quality scores, and a reduced need for rescue antiemetics. Specific effect sizes for these secondary outcomes were not reported.

Safety data, including adverse events and tolerability, were not reported in the source. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. The authors highlight that further large-scale, sham-controlled RCTs are warranted to establish standardized protocols. Despite these limitations, the findings support the integration of TEAS into perioperative care as a non-pharmacological adjunct.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedJun 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

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. 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. 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. 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. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261333755.