A Phase II, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for Reduction of Postcolectomy Ileus. 


Author: Deng G, Wong WD, Guillem J, Chan Y, Affuso T, Yeung KS, Coleton M, Sjoberg D, Vickers A, Cassileth B.

Affiliation: Integrative Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA, dengg@mskcc.org. 
Conference/Journal: Ann Surg Oncol. 
Date published: 2012 Nov 28
Other:
  Word Count: 235  
    Postoperative ileus (POI) prolongs hospital stay and increases risk of postoperative complications. We conducted a randomized, sham-controlled trial to evaluate whether acupuncture reduces POI more effectively than sham acupuncture.

METHODS:

Colon cancer patients undergoing elective colectomy were randomized to receive 30 min of true or sham acupuncture twice daily during their first 3 postoperative days. GI-3 (the later of the following two events: time that the patient first tolerated solid food, AND time that the patient first passed flatus OR a bowel movement) and GI-2 (the later of the following two events: time patient first tolerated solid food AND time patient first passed a bowel movement) were determined. Pain, nausea, vomiting, and use of pain medications were evaluated daily for the first 3 postoperative days.

RESULTS:

Ninety patients were randomized. Eighty-one received the allocated intervention: 39 in the true acupuncture group and 42 in the sham acupuncture group, all evaluated for the primary endpoint. The mean time to GI-3 was 149 h [standard deviation (SD) 71 h] and 146 (SD 62 h) after surgery for the acupuncture group and the sham acupuncture group (difference between means -2 h; 95 % confidence interval -31, 26; p = 0.9). No significant differences were found between groups for secondary endpoints.

CONCLUSIONS:

True acupuncture as provided in this study did not reduce POI more significantly than sham acupuncture. The study was limited by a standard deviation much larger than expected, suggesting that a study with a larger sample size might be required.

PMID: 23188543