Background:

2

Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (POGD) is a common complication following gastrointestinal tumor surgery

significantly impairing patient recovery and quality of life. The efficacy of acupuncture in improving POGD remains unclear. Objective: To evaluate the role of acupuncture in enhancing postoperative gastrointestinal function in patients with gastrointestinal tumors

providing evidence-based clinical insights.

Methods:

2

Relevant studies were searched in PubMed

Cochrane Library

EMbase

Web of Science

China National Knowledge Infrastructure

Wanfang Data

and VIP Database from inception to December 4

2024. Only clinical-type studies involving acupuncture or electroacupuncture in the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal tumors were included. The primary outcomes were the first flatus time

first bowel movement time

first oral feeding

and hospitalization time. Secondary outcomes included white blood cell (WBC) count and C-reactive protein (CRP) level. Study quality was appraised using the domain-based evaluation described in the Cochrane Handbook.

Results:

2

This study included 8 randomized control trials (CRCTs) involving 413 patients. Meta-analysis revealed that acupuncture significantly

reduced the time to first flatus (

P

<

0.05)

time to first oral feeding (

P

<

0.05)

and hospital stay (

P

<

0.05). However

it did not significantly affect the time to first bowel movement (

P

=0.53). Additionally

acupuncture significantly decreased CRP levels at 3 and 6/7 d postoperatively (

P

<

0.05)

as well as WBC counts at 6/7 d (

P

<

0.05). The overall risk of bias of the included studies was rated as low to unclear.

Conclusions:

2

Current evidence supports acupuncture as an effective adjunctive treatment for improving postoperative POGD in patients with gastrointestinal tumors. Further

high-quality RCTs are needed to validate these findings and optimize clinical protocols. (Registration No. CRD420250651195)