Objective To evaluate the clinical effect of deep acupuncture at Lianquan (CV23) combined with swallowing rehabilitation training in the treatment of dysphagia after stroke.Methods A total of 84 patients with dysphagia after stroke who met the inclusion criteria were divided into 2 groups, 42 in each. The control group received swallowing rehabilitation training, and the observation group was treated with acupuncture therapy based on deep acupuncture atLianquan (CV23) combined with swallowing rehabilitation training. The VFSS score and clinical efficacy were compared between the 2 groups before and after treatment.Results The cure rate of observation group was 69.1% (29/42), the total effective rate 85.7% (36/42), while the control group were 42.86% (18/42) and 66.67% (28/42). The comparison of cure rate and total efficiency rate between the two group had statistically significant differences (χ2=5.845, 4.200,P=0.016, 0.040). After treatment, the VFSS score of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (7.43 ± 2.27vs.4.31 ± 1.53;t=5.433, P<0.05). The recovery time of the 29 cured patients in the observation group was (12.0 ± 3.0) d, while the recovery time of the 18 cured patients in the control group was (17.8 ± 2.2) d. There was statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (t=7.094,P=0.001).Conclusions Deep acupuncture at Lianquan (CV23) combined with swallowing rehabilitation training can improve the swallowing function of patients with dysphagia after stroke, shorten the recovery time of swallowing function and improve the clinical efficacy.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of deep acupuncture at Lianquan (CV 23) and Yifeng (TE 17) combined with swallowing training for post-stroke dysphagia.

METHODSSixty cases of post-stroke dys phagia were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. Patients in the observation group, based on the regular acupuncture treatment, were treated with deep acupuncture at Lianquan (CV 23) and Yifeng (TE 17), once a day, 30 min per treatment; also swallowing training was combined, twice a day, 20 min per treatment. Patients in the control group were treated with swallowing training. All the patients were treated with regular treatment of stroke. Six days of treatment were taken as one session, and totally 3 sessions were given with an interval of one day between sessions. The video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) dysphagia evaluation scale and Watian water swallow test (WWST) were evaluated before and after treatment also the clinical efficacy and the recovery time of two groups were compared.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the VFSS score in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group (P < 0.01); the WWST in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group (P < 0.01). The cured rate was 70.0% (21/30) in the observation group, which was significantly superior to 43.3% (13/30) in the control group (P < 0.01); the total effective rate was 86.7% (26/30) in the observation group, which was significantly superior to 66.7% (20/30) in the control group (both P < 0.01). The clinical recovery time in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONDeep acupuncture at Lianquan (CV 23) and Yifeng (TE 17) combined with swallowing training could effectively improve post-stroke swallow function.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; etiology ; physiopathology ; rehabilitation ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stroke ; complications ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To study the results of repeat hepatectomy,followed by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT),but with or without portal vein chemotherapy (PVC) in patients with recurrence of hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) after partial hepatectomy.Methods The data of 33 patients were analyzed retrospectively.All these patients received repeat hepatectomy.They were then divided into two groups:the PVC group (n =19) was treated with PVC + TACE + PMCT,and the non-PVC group (n =14) with TACE + PMCT.Results For the 33 patients,13 (39.4％) developed tumor recurrence ＞2 years from the initial resection while 20 patients (60.6％) developed recurrence within ≤ 2 years.The tumor recurrence consisted of local recurrence in 14 patients (42.4％),and heterochronous recurrence in 19 patients (57.6％).There was a significantly difference in the cumulative survival rates between the two groups (x2 =4.319; P =0.038).The 1y,3y,5y survival rates were 84.2％,42.1％,31.6％ in the PVC Group,and 71.4％,28.6％,14.3％ in the Non-PVC Group respectively.28 sessions of PMCT and 97 sessions of TACE were performed postoperatively (the medians were 1,0.5; 3,3 respectively,the mean ranks were 17.68,16.07; 15.05,19.64 respectively,and the P values were 0.612,0.163 respectively between the two groups).Conclusions For patients with recurrence of HCC after hepatic resection,after repeat hepatectomy PVC + TACE + PMCT gave better survival than those with TACE + PMCT but without PVC.