Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation accelerates gastrointestinal function recovery after abdominal surgery: a systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE

This meta-analysis systematically evaluates the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) as an adjunctive therapy for Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

METHODS

We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Ovid, and Web of Science for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the application of TEAS in laparoscopic surgical procedures, published from database inception to 25 March 2025. Primary outcomes included time to first flatus, defecation, and time to oral intake after surgery. The secondary outcomes including incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), postoperative nausea (PON), postoperative vomiting (POV), pain intensity, length of hospital stay, and total hospitalization costs.

RESULTS

We ultimately included 16 RCTs (comprising 2300 participants) in this meta-analysis. The results demonstrated that TEAS accelerated the time to first exhaust and defecation after abdominal surgery, as well as shortened the time to oral intake of patients received open surgery patients. Additionally, TEAS reduced the incidence of PONV, PON, and POV, alleviated pain intensity, shortened hospital stays, and lowered overall hospitalization costs of patients received abdominal surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The study indicated that TEAS effectively enhanced ERAS outcomes in abdominal surgery patients by accelerating the time to first defecation, flatus, and oral intake, while reducing postoperative pain intensity, PONV incidence, length of hospital stay, and hospitalization costs. These benefits support the clinical adoption of TEAS and improve patient outcomes. However, the observed effects of TEAS should be interpreted in the context of certain limitations.