Researchers studied 60 patients who had laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Thirty received electroacupuncture at specific points like Zusanli and Neiguan for 30 minutes at four different times after waking from anesthesia. The other 30 patients received only standard perioperative care. Twenty healthy individuals were also included in the sample. The main goal was to see if the electrical stimulation helped patients return to normal activities sooner.
The results showed that the group receiving electroacupuncture had significantly earlier recovery in four key areas. Patients in the treatment group passed gas, had their first bowel movement, drank fluids, and started walking sooner than those in the control group. Additionally, pain scores measured 72 hours after surgery were lower in the group that received the acupuncture treatment. Some specific metabolic markers in the blood were also identified as being associated with the treatment.
No adverse events or safety concerns were reported during the study, and the treatment was well tolerated. However, because the study was small and did not report long-term follow-up, these results are preliminary. Readers should understand that this is an early investigation into a promising technique. More large-scale research is needed to confirm these benefits and determine if this approach should be part of standard surgical care for gastric cancer patients.