Acupuncture Relieves Postoperative Effects of Anesthesia

Early results of an ongoing study of breast surgery patients show that acupuncture is as effective if not better in relieving postoperative nausea and vomiting as the antiemetic ondansetron and has fewer side effects. The study is being conducted by researchers from Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC, USA).

Up to 70% of women undergoing major breast cancer surgery experience significant postoperative nausea and vomiting, according to the researchers. The study enrolled 40 women who were undergoing major breast surgery requiring general anesthesia. The procedures lasted between two to four hours, and most women were discharged after spending the night in the hospital. The women were divided into three groups. One group received acupuncture before surgery, one received ondansetron prior to surgery, and the third group received neither. For the acupuncture patients, the researchers used an electroacupuncture device, which delivers a small electrical pulse through the skin.

Two hours after surgery, 23% of the acupuncture patients reported nausea, compared to 36% for the drug and 69% for placebo. After 24 hours, 38% of acupuncture patients reported nausea, compared to 57% for the drug and 61% for placebo. Two hours after surgery, 7% of acupuncture patients reported vomiting, compared to 7% who received ondansetron and 23% who received neither. After 24 hours, 23% of acupuncture patients reported vomiting, compared to 28% for the drug and 46% for placebo.

"We were most surprised by the level of pain reported by women, with 31% of acupuncture patients reporting moderate to severe pain two hours after surgery, compared to 64% for ondansetron and 77% for placebo,” said Dr. Tong Joo Gan, a Duke anesthesiologist and lead investigator. Dr. Gan presented the study during the annual scientific sessions of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in New Orleans (LA, USA).




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