A phase II, randomized, controlled trial of acupuncture for reduction of Postcolectomy Ileus. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • PURPOSE: Postoperative ileus (POI) prolongs hospital stay and increases risk of postoperative complications. We conducted a randomized, sham-controlled trial to evaluate whether acupuncture reduces POI more effectively than sham acupuncture. METHODS: Colon cancer patients undergoing elective colectomy were randomized to receive 30 min of true or sham acupuncture twice daily during their first 3 postoperative days. GI-3 (the later of the following two events: time that the patient first tolerated solid food, AND time that the patient first passed flatus OR a bowel movement) and GI-2 (the later of the following two events: time patient first tolerated solid food AND time patient first passed a bowel movement) were determined. Pain, nausea, vomiting, and use of pain medications were evaluated daily for the first 3 postoperative days. RESULTS: Ninety patients were randomized. Eighty-one received the allocated intervention: 39 in the true acupuncture group and 42 in the sham acupuncture group, all evaluated for the primary endpoint. The mean time to GI-3 was 149 h [standard deviation (SD) 71 h] and 146 (SD 62 h) after surgery for the acupuncture group and the sham acupuncture group (difference between means -2 h; 95 % confidence interval -31, 26; p = 0.9). No significant differences were found between groups for secondary endpoints. CONCLUSIONS: True acupuncture as provided in this study did not reduce POI more significantly than sham acupuncture. The study was limited by a standard deviation much larger than expected, suggesting that a study with a larger sample size might be required.

publication date

  • November 28, 2012

Research

keywords

  • Acupuncture
  • Colectomy
  • Ileus
  • Postoperative Complications

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC3978767

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 84875212587

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1245/s10434-012-2759-7

PubMed ID

  • 23188543

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 20

issue

  • 4