The Effect of Percutaneous Acupoint Electrical Stimulation Therapy Combined with PCIA on Gastrointestinal Function Recovery and Pain After Radical Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

HAN Kunyuan; MAO Tingting; GAO Yanhua

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2096-305X.2025.05.013

Abstract：Objective To explore the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation therapy combined with patient controlled intravenous analgesia(PCIA)on the recovery of gastrointestinal function and pain after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer.Methods A total of 80 patients who underwent gastric cancer surgery and were admitted to the Anesthesiology Department of Anyang People's Hospital from March 2022 to February 2025 were included in the study.They were randomly and equally divided into the control group and the study group(40 cases in each group).Both groups received standardized perioperative management,with the control group receiving PCIA alone while the study group combined PCIA with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation.Evaluations included analgesic and sedative effects,pain mediators,inflammatory markers,lymphocyte subsets,time to first flatus,defecation,bowel sound recovery,hospitalizationduration,gastrointestinal motility,and adverse reactions.Results The assessment of pain intensity at 4,24 and 48 hours after the operation showed that the visual analogue scale(VAS)of the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group,while the Ramsay score was significantly higher than that of the control group(P＜0.05);four hours after the operation,the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)in the study group(1.36±0.31)μmol/L and the level of prostaglandin E2(PGE2)(36.19±3.27)ng/mL were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05);four hours after the operation,the levels of interleukin(IL)-6(156.85±6.18)pg/mL and IL-1 β(122.82±11.09)pg/mL in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05);four hours after the operation,the percentages of CD3 positive(75.19±13.11)％,CD4 positive(52.61±8.43)％,and CD4 positive/CD8 positive(3.55±0.86)in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group,while the percentage of CD8 positive(20.61±4.18)was significantly lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05);the recovery time of bowel sounds(15.23±2.42)hours,the time of anal exhaust(25.48±2.61)hours,the defecation time(42.28±9.43)hours,and the hospital stay(7.53±0.23)days in the study group were significantly shorter than those in the control group(P＜0.05);four hours after the operation,the levels of motilin(MOT),gastrin(GAS),substance P(SP),and cholecystokinin(CCK)in the study group were higher than those in the control group,while the levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP),somatostatin(SS),and neurotensin(NT)were lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05);in the assessment of adverse reactions,the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in the study group(12.50％)was significantly lower than that in the control group(52.50％)(P＜0.05).Conclusion The combination of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation with PCIA significantly enhances postoperative analgesia and sedation in radical gastrectomy patients,while effectively reducing pain mediators and inflammatory factors.This integrated approach demonstrates immunomodulatory benefits,accelerates gastrointestinal motility recovery,shortens postoperative rehabilitation time,and decreases the incidence of adverse reactions such as nausea and vomiting.The combined intervention shows substantial clinical value in promoting enhanced recovery after gastric cancer surgery.