NCT07287657

Exploring the Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation Therapy on Patients After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

Exploring the Impact of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation Therapy on Postoperative Pain, Quality of Life, and Blood Inflammatory Markers in Lung Cancer Patients After Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 90 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 15 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Thoracic surgery is known to be one of the most painful types of surgery. If acute postoperative pain is not properly managed, there is a high risk that it may develop into clinically significant chronic pain within six months after surgery, which can seriously affect quality of life. According to research on Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), using multimodal pain management strategies can significantly reduce postoperative pain and decrease reliance on pain medications. This study aims to investigate whether combining transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation therapy with conventional pain management can further enhance pain relief and improve recovery outcomes.

Detailed description

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of three postoperative analgesic strategies in patients undergoing lesion resection via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Under standard postoperative care protocols, patients will be randomized into three groups: (1) conventional pharmacologic analgesia alone, (2) conventional analgesia combined with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and (3) conventional analgesia combined with both transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS). The primary outcomes include the assessment of acute postoperative pain intensity, blood inflammatory biomarkers, health-related quality of life, and the incidence of postoperative complications. This investigation seeks to determine whether adjunctive use of neuromodulatory techniques such as TENS and TEAS can enhance analgesic efficacy and improve postoperative recovery profiles.

Conditions

• Pain, Postoperative

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Standard Analgesia	Postoperative analgesic medications administered according to standard clinical practice and hospital guidelines
DEVICE	Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)	Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation therapy applied to specific areas to reduce postoperative pain
DEVICE	Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS)	Electrical stimulation applied to specific acupuncture points through the skin to enhance analgesic efficacy and modulate autonomic function.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-05-28
• Primary completion: 2025-12-31
• Completion: 2025-12-31
• First posted: 2025-12-17
• Last updated: 2025-12-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Taiwan