Electroacupuncture for Laparoscopic/ Robotic Colorectal Surgery

• Status: Terminated
• Trial end date: 2020-03-24
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

A multimodal approach for management of post-operative pain is used to improve analgesia, minimize side effects, and improve recovery. Nevertheless, opioid analgesics and intravenous patient controlled analgesia remains the mainstay of postoperative analgesia after colorectal surgery. Opioids are associated with various side effects such as nausea, vomiting, sedation, dizziness, respiratory depression, urinary retention and reduced bowel movement. These side effects are unpleasant and lead to prolonged recovery.

Use of non-pharmacological analgesic techniques may improve postoperative pain control and reduce opioid consumption. Acupuncture has been used for over 3000 years in China for treatment of pain and various other conditions. Acupuncture and related techniques are simple and safe. There is evidence that acupuncture can reduce postoperative pain intensity, opioid consumption, and opioid related side effects.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong
• Treatments: Morphine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• The American Society of Anesthesiologists adopted physical status classification system (ASA) I to III

• Age 18 to 80 years old

• Scheduled for elective laparoscopic/ robotic colonic or upper rectal resection in Queen Mary hospital.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Open colorectal surgery

• Extended resection involving other organs such as liver and urinary bladder

• Known drug allergy to alpha-2 agonists, opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including COX-2 inhibitors, paracetamol, or sulphonamides

• Alcohol or drug abuse

• Known history of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis

• Impaired renal function, defined as preoperative serum creatinine level over 120µmol/L

• Impaired hepatic function, defined as preoperative serum albumin level less than 30g/L

• Impaired or retarded mental state

• Not self-ambulatory before operation

• Difficulties in using patient-controlled analgesia

• Body Mass Index > 35kg/m2

• Pregnancy

• Local infection

• Abdominal wound

• Patient refusal