Published online Sep 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.119698
Revised: April 18, 2026
Accepted: June 2, 2026
Published online: September 27, 2026
Processing time: 171 Days and 22.2 Hours
Gastrointestinal dysfunction frequently occurs following painless gastroscopic general anesthesia, and the efficacy of conventional acupuncture and moxibustion is limited. Therefore, there is an urgent need to optimize the recovery protocol.
To investigate and analyze the effects of two distinct acupuncture protocols on the recovery of gastrointestinal function following general anesthesia during gastro
A retrospective review was conducted on medical records of 80 patients who underwent elective gastrointestinal endoscopy under general anesthesia at our hospital's endoscopy center from October 2024 to October 2025. Patients were categorized based on the postoperative acupuncture protocol received: A conventional group receiving acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) and Neiguan (PC6) and an optimized group receiving acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36), Neiguan (PC6), Shangjuxu (ST37), and Zhongwan (CV12), combined with electroacupuncture stimulation, with 40 patients in each group. Comparison between the two groups was performed based on indicators such as postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery time (including time to first flatus, first defecation, and bowel sound recovery), abdominal distension and pain visual analog scale scores, incidence of complications, and patient satisfaction levels.
Patients in the optimized group exhibited significantly shorter times to first flatus, first defecation, and bowel sound recovery compared to the conventional group (P < 0.05). At 6 hours and 12 hours postoperatively, visual analog scale scores for abdominal distension and pain were significantly lower in the optimized group (P < 0.05), and the overall patient satisfaction rate was higher (P < 0.01). Forest plots indicated that the optimized group experienced an average reduction in time to first flatus of 3.29 hours [95% confidence interval (CI): -4.28 to -2.30], an average reduction in time to first defecation of 6.87 hours (95%CI: -10.07 to -3.67), and an average reduction in time to bowel sound recovery of 2.00 hours (95%CI: -2.69 to -1.31) compared to the conventional group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). The Kaplan-Meier curve revealed that the cumulative probability of first flatus was consistently higher in the optimized group (Log-rank test, χ2 = 15.32, P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups concerning anesthetic dosage, procedure duration, or total incidence of complications (P > 0.05).
The optimized integrated acupuncture protocol, which includes additional gastrointestinal meridian points and electroacupuncture stimulation, significantly enhances the early recovery of gastrointestinal function following general anesthesia during gastrointestinal endoscopy, alleviates postoperative abdominal distension and pain, improves patient comfort and satisfaction, and demonstrates favorable safety profiles, thereby warranting clinical promotion.
Core Tip: This study examines the impact of an optimized acupuncture protocol on the recovery of gastrointestinal function following general anesthesia for gastrointestinal endoscopy. The optimized protocol incorporates Shangjuxu (ST37), Zhongwan (CV12), and electroacupuncture in addition to conventional acupuncture points. It significantly shortens recovery time, alleviates abdominal discomfort, and enhances patient satisfaction while maintaining a high level of safety, thus offering a better clinical option.