Perioperative transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation at pericardium 6 reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting after tympanoplasty patients: a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) remains a prevalent and distressing complication following tympanoplasty. Stimulation of the Pericardium 6 (PC6) acupoint has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological strategy for PONV management in various surgical procedures. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) at PC6 as an adjunct to standard antiemetic prophylaxis in patients undergoing tympanoplasty.

METHODS

In this prospective, single-blind, randomized, parallel-group trial, we enrolled 277 patients (aged 18–65 years; ASA physical status I–II) scheduled for tympanoplasty. Participants were randomized to receive either active transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS group, n = 138) or sham TEAS (Sham-TEAS group, n = 139). The primary endpoint was the incidence of PONV within 48 h postoperatively. Secondary endpoints included the rate of complete response (CR), the severity of PONV, the requirement for rescue antiemetics, postoperative pain scores, and the incidence of other adverse events.

RESULTS

Compared with the Sham group, the TEAS group exhibited a significantly lower incidence of nausea (17.4% vs. 39.1%, p < 0.01) and vomiting (6.5% vs. 19.4%, p < 0.01). Conversely, the rate of complete response (CR) was significantly higher in the TEAS group than in the Sham group (81.6% vs. 59.7%, p < 0.01). No significant intergroup differences were observed regarding recovery parameters or other adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Perioperative PC6 TEAS serves as a safe and efficacious adjunctive strategy for preventing PONV in patients undergoing tympanoplasty. Our findings support the integration of TEAS into multimodal antiemetic protocols to optimize perioperative care for this high-risk population.