Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Jun 27, 2025; 17(6): 104325
Published online Jun 27, 2025. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i6.104325
Effects of gastrointestinal motility therapy combined with acupuncture on gastrointestinal function in patients after laparoscopic radical surgery
Chen Liang, Feng-Xi Qiu, Xiao-Cun Zhang, Qi-Long Hu
Chen Liang, Feng-Xi Qiu, Xiao-Cun Zhang, Qi-Long Hu, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 201619, China
Author contributions: Liang C designed the research methods and experimental design; Liang C, Qiu FX, and Zhang XC contributed to the data collection, processing, and analysis; Liang C wrote the initial draft of the paper and participated in discussions and revisions; Qiu FX and Zhang XC assisted in paper writing and revision; Hu QL was responsible for the planning, design, and implementation of the entire study; supervised and coordinated the overall research; ensured the completeness and accuracy of the research; and provided economic and technical support.
Supported by Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Key Project within the Hospital, No. 2024CRZD007; and Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, 2024-2025 Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Project, No. 2024QN063.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Medicine, Tongji University, No [2024]117.
Informed consent statement: The need for patient consent was waived due to the retrospective nature of the study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Data sharing statement: Dataset available from the corresponding author at hqlhz@163.com.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Qi-Long Hu, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 2209 Guangxing Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201619, China. hqlhz1@163.com
Received: February 7, 2025
Revised: March 10, 2025
Accepted: April 21, 2025
Published online: June 27, 2025
Processing time: 112 Days and 1.8 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction is common after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer and affects rehabilitation. While conventional treatments can alleviate symptoms to a certain extent, they often fail to fully address the issue of insufficient GI motility. The GI motility therapeutic apparatus promotes dynamic recovery by simulating GI electric waves, whereas acupuncture regulates zang-fu qi movement, both offering effective interventions. However, there are few clinical studies investigating the combined use of GI motility therapy and acupuncture to promote GI function recovery in patients after GI laparoscopic radical surgery.

AIM

To evaluate the effects of combining GI motility therapy devices with acupuncture on GI function in patients undergoing radical laparoscopic surgery.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 196 patients who underwent radical GI endoscopic surgery at the Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Medicine, Tongji University, from June 2022 to May 2024. Patients were classified into a normal group (conventional treatment, n = 96) and an integrated group (conventional + GI motility therapy device + acupuncture, n = 100). The effects on GI function, hormone levels pre- and post-treatment, GI symptoms, immune function, adverse reactions, and patient satisfaction in both groups were assessed.

RESULTS

Compared with the normal group, the integrated group demonstrated significantly better overall effectiveness (93.00% vs 84.3%; P < 0.05) and shorter durations for first exhaust, feeding, defecation, and hospital stay (P < 0.05). Post-treatment, the integrated group had lower gastrin and GI symptom rating scale scores and higher motilin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and immune marker (CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, and natural killer cells) levels (P < 0.05). The integrated group, compared to the normal group, also reported fewer adverse reactions (5.00% vs 14.58%) and higher patient satisfaction (97.00% vs 84.38%), both statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The combination of a GI motility therapy device and acupuncture promotes GI function recovery after radical gastrectomy, regulates GI hormones and immune function, and is safe and effective.

Keywords: Laparoscopic radical surgery; Gastrointestinal functional disorders; Gastrointestinal motility therapy device; Acupuncture therapy; Zusanli acupoint; Curative effect

Core Tip: Gastrointestinal (GI) laparoscopic surgery causes GI dysfunction, with signs of changes in defecation patterns, adhesive intestinal obstruction, and abdominal pain. We found that compared with conventional treatment, GI motility therapy combined with acupuncture can effectively promote the recovery of postoperative GI function, regulate GI hormones and immune function, and improve patient satisfaction with good safety.