Objective:

2

To preliminarily investigate the effect of buccal acupuncture therapy on ameliorating postoperative pain and enhancing recovery quality among patients undergoing radical resection of gastrointestinal cancers.

Methods:

2

Fifty-two participants were randomized at a 1:1 ratio to either the buccal acupuncture or the control group. The acupuncture protocol entailed targeting 5 predetermined acupoints [CA-2 (Upper jiao)

CA-3 (Middle jiao)

CA-4 (Lower jiao)

CA-6 (back)

and CA-7 (waist) and two adjustable acupoints [CA-1 (head) and CA-8 (sacrum)] on each side of the face. The outcomes included the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores for each day within 7 days postoperatively

15-Item Quality of Recovery Scale (QoR-15) scores

analgesics consumption during and after surgery

incidences of postoperative nausea and vomiting

and perioperative levels of interleukin-6 and glucose. Adverse events related to acupuncture were recorded.

Results:

2

Of the initial 52 participants

46 completed the study and were included in the analysis. Findings indicated that the buccal acupuncture group experienced significantly reduced resting NRS scores in post-anesthesia care unit and throughout the postoperative phase (

P

=0.001 and

P

=0.003

respectively)

along with enhanced QoR-15 scores on the 3rd postoperative day (

P

=0.008)

compared to the control group. No notable differences were identified in the remaining indicators (

P

>

0.05).

Conclusion:

2

Buccal acupuncture therapy demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing postoperative pain and improving recovery quality for patients undergoing radical resection of gastrointestinal cancers

presenting a viable intervention without associated adverse outcomes. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2200060441)