title: Electroacupuncture for the prevention of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction in patients undergoing vascular surgery under general anesthesia: study protocol for a prospective practical randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (PGD) is one of the most common complications following major surgeries under general anesthesia (GA). Despite ongoing research and new drug treatments, abdominal distension within 24 h postoperatively occurs in 8%-28% of all surgeries. We aim to analyze the effectiveness of preventing PGD by preoperatively stimulating Neiguan (PC6), Zusanli (ST36) and Shangjuxu (ST37) bilaterally twice a day compared with sham-acupuncture treatment and standard treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a single-center, prospective practical randomized controlled trial. All groups will be given standard treatments. Patients undergoing vascular surgery under GA will be included from the Vascular Surgery Unit in West China Hospital of Sichuan University, China, and divided into three groups. The experimental group will receive routine treatments and acupuncture at PC6, ST36 and ST37 bilaterally with electrical stimulation twice a day for 20 min preoperatively. The sham-acupuncture group will receive pseudo-electroacupuncture at sham acupoints of PC6, ST36 and ST37, which are 1 cun away from the real acupoints. The routine-treatment group will not receive electroacupuncture. The outcomes include the incidence of abdominal distention, abdominal circumference, the degree of abdominal distension, the first time of flatus and defecation, and hospitalization duration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this study will demonstrate whether preoperative electroacupuncture is an effective method for the prevention of PGD in patients undergoing vascular surgery under GA. This study may also provide a standardized acupuncture treatment for reduction of PGD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Meng-yue
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Cheng-wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver and Vascular Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhou-peng
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China; E-mail: 729439676@qq.com.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012107:Research Design; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*