Interventional effect of electroacupuncture on postoperative pain and swelling in patients with dentofacial deformities after orthognathic surgery

YIN Xiaoqing; CHEN Hao; CAI Xiaoyan; GAO Shan; ZHU Hongxia; GUAN Zhaolan

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1673-7040.2025.12.015

Abstract：Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture in alleviating early postoperative pain and swelling(within 72 hours)in patients with dentofacial deformities undergoing orthognathic surgery,and to provide a safe and effective ad-junctive treatment option for acute postoperative management.Methods This randomized controlled trial enrolled 76 patients with dento-facial deformities admitted to the Department of Orthodontics at the Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University be-tween November 2023 and October 2024.Patients were randomly allocated into two groups at a 1:1 ratio(38 patients per group).The con-trol group received conventional analgesic medication and standardized postoperative care.In addition to this standard care,the elec-troacupuncture group received electroacupuncture intervention starting at 6 hours postoperatively.Acupuncture points included LI4(Hegu),ST36(Zusanli),ST6(Jiache),and SJ17(Yifeng).Stimulation was delivered using a sparse-dense wave(2/100 Hz)for 30 minutes once daily for 5 consecutive days.Outcome measures included pain intensity assessed using the visual analog scale(VAS)and swelling e-valuated by changes in the tragus-to-commissure(TC)and outer canthus-to-commissure(OC)distances,measured at 6,12,24,48,and 72 hours postoperatively.Results The electroacupuncture group demonstrated significantly lower VAS scores at all postoperative time points compared to the control group(all P＜0.05).At 72 hours,the pain score decreased to(1.5±0.5)in the electroacupuncture group,compared to(2.8±0.7)in the control group.Regarding swelling assessment,the swelling values(changes in TC and OC distances)in the electroacupuncture group were also significantly smaller than those in the control group at all measurement time points(all P＜0.05).The TC swelling value at 72 hours was(2.5±0.8)mm in the electroacupuncture group versus(4.6±1.2)mm in the control group.Only one mild adverse event(2.6％)was reported in the electroacupuncture group,indicating a favorable safety profile.Conclusion Electroacupuncture is a safe and effective modality for relieving pain and swelling during the acute phase following orthognathic surgery.Its therapeutic effect is superior to conventional analgesic medication alone,positioning it as a preferred adjunctive therapy for enhanced recovery after orthognath-ic surgery.