A randomized controlled trial examined 94 hospitalized patients scheduled for elective glaucoma surgery under general anesthesia at Beijing Tongren Hospital. The researchers compared perioperative transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation with sham stimulation. They measured pain levels, use of rescue pain medication, and sleep quality until the first postoperative day.
Patients receiving the active stimulation reported lower rates of moderate to severe pain within 24 hours after surgery compared to those receiving the sham treatment. Fewer patients in the active group required acetaminophen for pain relief during this period. Sleep quality also improved, as measured by lower insomnia scores on the first postoperative night.
No adverse events or discontinuations were reported during the study. While the results are promising, this trial involved a small number of patients at a single hospital. Further research is needed to confirm these findings in broader populations before changing standard surgical care.