Effect Of Fast Acupuncture At ZUSANLI(ST36) On The Recovery Of Gastrointestinal Function After Abdominal Non-gastrointestinal Surgery

Objective:To observe the effect of fast acupuncture at zusanli(ST36) on the recovery of gastrointestinal function after abdominal non-gastrointestinal surgery. Methods:In this randomised placebo-controlled single-blind clinical trial, patients received non-gastrointestinal abdominal surgery were assigned to two subgroups. The treatment subgroup received fast acupuncture and the control subgroup received superficial conciliative acupuncture. The acupuncture was taken at both sides of zusanli(ST36) for1minute respectively during7-8a.m. and7-8p.m. everyday from the first postoperative day. We stopped acupuncture when the patients got initial postoperative flatus or stool, or at the end of the fifth day postoperatively. To observe and collect general information of the patients, acupuncture sensation level, frequency of the bowel sounds before and after each time of acupuncture, the time to get initial postoperative flatus or stool, postoperative abdominal distension, the whole time and the postoperative time to discharge, the preoperative and postoperative related laboratory test results, and to test the serum Motilin at the time of preoperative day,1hour after acupuncture of the second postoperative day and after the initial postoperative flatus or stool within24hours by Elisa.Results:37controlled patients were assigned to treatment subgroup (18patients) and control group (19patients) randomly. There was no difference between two subgroups on the general information of the patient. The treatment subgroup had stronger feeling than the control subgroup on the acupuncture sensation level (5.7±3.0VS2.7±2.2, P﹤0.05) There is no difference between two subgroups on the frequency of the bowel sounds except the forth time after acupuncture. For the treatment subgroup, the initial postoperative flatus or stool time is18hours shorter than the control subgroup (65.9±18.1h VS84±24.5h, P<0.05). Also in the multi-factor comparison on the effect of initial postoperative flatus or stool, only the acupuncture ways had an active effect on it. And the treatment subgroup patients’ postoperative abdominal distension is lesser than the control subgroup. No difference on the whole time and the postoperative time to discharge between two subgroups. There is also no difference on the preoperative and postoperative related laboratory test results between two subgroups. Also there were no difference on the serum Motilin at the time of preoperative,1hour after acupuncture of the second postoperative day and initial postoperative flatus or stool within24hours.Conclusion:Result shows fast acupuncture at ZUSANLI(ST36) can promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function after receiving abdominal non-gastrointestinal surgery, and can also lighten the patients’postoperative abdominal distension. There is no obvious relationship between serum Molitin and initial postoperative flatus and stool. However, the sample of the research is small, the further research with a larger sample is needed to explore the effect of fast acupuncture at ZUSANLI(ST36) on the recovery of gastrointestinal function after abdominal non-gastrointestinal surgery.