Please confirm that an ethics committee approval has been applied for or granted: Not relevant

Background and Aims This study investigates the therapeutic potential of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) in enhancing gastrointestinal recovery and alleviating postoperative acute pain among laparoscopic total hysterectomy

Methods From May 2022 to May 2023, 120 patients undergoing laparoscopic total hysterectomy were studied. The TEAS group (T group) received preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative electrical stimulation, while the control group (C group) did not. Outcomes measured included gastrointestinal function, postoperative nausea and vomiting, postoperative acute pain, patient-reported outcomes on the GSRS and VAS, and plasma levels of gastrin and motilin analyzed using ELISA.

Results Relative to the C group, the T group exhibited a statistically significant acceleration in postoperative gastrointestinal recovery markers, including earlier occurrences of first flatus, defecation, bowel sound resumption, and initial solid food consumption. Additionally, this group demonstrated a notable reduction in the incidence rates of PONV within the initial six hours post-surgery. Furthermore, a marked decrease in both GSRS and VAS scores was observed at 2 hours and 1 day postoperatively, indicating an alleviation in gastrointestinal symptoms and pain. This clinical improvement was accompanied by a significant increase in plasma gastrin and motilin concentrations, suggesting a physiological enhancement in gastrointestinal functionality post-TEAS intervention(P<0.05).

Conclusions TEAS group’s significant improvement in gastrointestinal recovery reduced PONV and alleviated postoperative acute pain, suggesting TEAS’s potential as a beneficial intervention in laparoscopic total hysterectomy.