OBJECTIVETo evaluate electroacupuncture on the efficacy and the safety of gastric and systemic functional recovery in patients with carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum undergoing gynaecological laparoscopic surgery.

METHODSSixty patients undergoing gynaecological laparoscopic surgery were randomly divided into a regular anesthesia group (group A) and a combination electroacupuncture anesthesia group (group B), 30 cases in each group. The group A were treated with regular general anesthesia, and on the basis of general anesthesia, the group B were treated with electroacupuncture at bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) and Liangqiu (ST 34) by continuous wave and a frequency of 2 Hz 30 minutes before the surgery until the end of the operation. Sedation scale by Ramsay, nausea, vomiting and mental state scores of postoperative were evaluated and compared between the two groups.

RESULTSCompared with the group A, the sedation scale (1.19 +/- 0.56 vs 1.96 +/- 0.90), nausea score (0.59 +/- 0.80 vs 1.81 +/- 0.88), vomiting score (0.48 +/- 0.94 vs 1.89 +/- 0.93) and mental state score (0.96 +/- 0.73 vs 1.69 +/- 0.75) were all decreased significantly in the group B (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCombination electroacupuncture anesthesia can relieve postoperative irritable, nausea and vomiting, improve mental state after the operation and promote the gastric and systemic functional recovery. It is a good method for the adjustment of carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery.