Electroacupuncture Reduces Duration of Postoperative Ileus After Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: A Multicenter Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Electroacupuncture (EA) may reduce the duration of postoperative ileus (POI) after laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer, although evidence is limited. We investigated the efficacy of EA in reducing POI duration and enhancing gastrointestinal (GI) recovery in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer. METHODS: This multicenter randomized trial was conducted at 7 hospitals in China, enrolling 585 participants who underwent laparoscopic resection for gastric cancer from October 27, 2021, to December 21, 2023. Participants received perioperative standard care and were randomized to 4 sessions of EA, 4 sessions of sham EA (SA), or standard care only. The primary outcome was the time to first flatus. Secondary outcomes included time to first defecation, dietary recovery, quality of life, postoperative mobilization, and duration of hospital stay. RESULTS: A total of 578 participants were in the full analysis set. EA exhibited a shorter time to first flatus compared with both SA and standard care, with differences of -12.96 hours (95% confidence interval (CI), -19.17 to -6.75; P < .001) and -24.46 hours (95% CI, -30.61 to -18.30; P < .001), respectively. Similarly, EA significantly reduced the time to first defecation: -15.41 hours (95% CI, -27.73 to -3.09; P = .007) vs SA; -24.66 hours (95% CI, -36.76 to -12.55; P < .001) vs standard care. Incidence of prolonged POI was significantly lower in the EA group than in the SA and standard care groups, with group differences of -0.41 (95% CI, -0.66 to -0.16; P < .001) and -0.56 (95% CI, -0.82 to -0.31; P < .001), respectively. No severe adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: EA was superior to SA and standard care only for reducing POI duration and the risk of prolonged POI in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer (Chinese Clinical Trials Register identifier: ChiCTR2100050660).