A study on the efficacy of acupuncture combined with erector spinae plane blockade in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung lobectomy.

This study aims to investigate the effects of acupuncture anesthesia combined with erector spinae plane block (ESPB) on postoperative pain, nausea severity, and stress responses in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung lobectomy, providing evidence for optimizing anesthesia protocols. Forty patients who underwent elective unilateral thoracoscopic lung lobectomy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University (American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II) during the study period were retrospectively identified. According to the perioperative analgesic strategy recorded in the clinical database, patients were categorized into the ESPB-only group (E group) and the acupuncture combined with ESPB group (A + E group). The E group underwent ESPB at the T5 transverse process level (0.5% ropivacaine), while the A + E group received ESPB combined with electroacupuncture at bilateral Hegu, Houxi, Zhigou, and Neiguan acupoints (sparse-dense wave 2/100 Hz) until the end of surgery. The following parameters were recorded for both groups: intraoperative remifentanil dosage, visual analog scale scores at 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively, nausea numerical rating scale scores, patient-controlled analgesia button presses, sufentanil dosage, plasma neutrophil concentration before and 24 hours after surgery, and postoperative hospital stay. In the A + E group, visual analog scale scores and numerical rating scale scores at rest and during coughing at all postoperative time points were significantly lower than those in the E group (P < .05); The A + E group had fewer patient-controlled analgesia presses, lower postoperative sufentanil dosage, and lower intraoperative remifentanil dosage than the E group (P < .05); the A + E group had a lower increase in plasma neutrophil concentration at 24 hours postoperatively than the E group (P < .05); and the A + E group had a shorter postoperative hospital stay than the E group (P < .05). Acupuncture anesthesia combined with erector spinae plane block effectively reduces postoperative pain and nausea in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung lobectomy, reduces opioid consumption, inhibits postoperative stress responses, and promotes postoperative recovery.