OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of general anaesthesia with combination of acupuncture [conducted with Han's acupoint nerve stimulator (HANS) applied] and enflurane in radical operation of laryngocarcinoma (LC).

METHODSSixty patients with LC of grade I - II , classified according to the standard of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), were assigned by randomizing number table to the control group and the tested group, 30 patients in each group. The control group received anaesthesia with enflurane alone for inducing and maintaining; the tested group was anaesthetized with enflurane like that given to the control group but also received additionally needling stimulation conducted by HANS. The dosage of enflurane used, the minimum effective concentration of enflurane in alveolar air (MACEnf) and the changes of heart rate (HR) as well as blood pressure (BP) in patients at different time points in the operational process were observed.

RESULTSAs compared with those in the control group, in the tested group, both the MACEnf and the dosage of enflurane were reduced, with the difference between the two groups significant (P<0. 01). The changes of HR and BP among different time points in the tested group were slight, and as compared with those in the control group at the corresponding time points, the difference was significant ( P <0. 05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONGeneral anaesthesia with combination of enflurane and needling conducted by HANS applied in radical operation of LC has definite effect with less complication. Needling could be cooperated with narcotics, and so it could be taken as an auxiliary measure of anaesthesia for radical operation of LC.