Electroacupuncture Anesthesia for Nasal Sinus Surgery and Mammaplasty

• Visual analogue scale [ Time Frame: post-operative 4h, 8h, 24h and 48h ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To assess whether EA pretreatment could help in alleviating acute post-operative pain.
• Extubation time [ Time Frame: postoperation ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To investigate the time from the end of propofol and remifentanil infusion to extubation. To assess whether EA pretreatment could shorten the extubation time.

• Visual analogue scale [ Time Frame: post-operative 4h, 8h, 24h and 48h ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To assess whether EA pretreatment could help in alleviating acute post-operative pain.
• Extubation time [ Time Frame: from the end of propofol and remifentanil infusion to extubation ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To assess whether EA pretreatment could shorten the extubation time.

• plasma β-endorphin and cortisol concentration [ Time Frame: preoperation, 0h and 24h postoperation ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To assess whether EA pretreatment could increase the plasma levels of β-endorphin and cortisol.
• Ramsay score [ Time Frame: post-operative 4h, 8h, 24h, 48h ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To assess the effect of EA pretreatment on post-operative Ramsay scores.
• incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) [ Time Frame: within post-operative 24 hours ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To assess the effect of EA pretreatment on PONV.

• plasma β-endorphin and cortisol concentration [ Time Frame: before EA pretreatment, when incisions are closed, and 24h after operation ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To assess whether EA pretreatment could increase the plasma levels of β-endorphin and cortisol.
• Ramsay score [ Time Frame: post-operative 4h, 8h, 24h, 48h ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To assess the effect of EA pretreatment on post-operative Ramsay scores.
• incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) [ Time Frame: within post-operative 24 hours ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  To assess the effect of EA pretreatment on PONV.

The purpose of this study is to verify the intraoperative analgesia of electroacupuncture in patients undergoing selective nasal sinus surgery and mammaplasty.

Acupuncture therapy has been proved helpful in the patients suffering from various pain problems. And it is reported to be able to reduce the intraoperative anesthetic requirement. However, so far there is few evidence from randomized controlled studies to confirm the assistant anesthetic effect of acupuncture. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a modern non-invasive technique of traditional acupuncture. Compared to traditional acupuncture, EA is more practicable, more easily to be accepted by patients and operated by physicians. Nasal sinus surgery and mammaplasty, especially breast augmentation, mostly belong to the scope of day surgeries, which demand a rapid, smooth recovery from anesthesia with minimum adverse side effects (e.g.: pain, PONV, etc).

• Procedure: non-electroacupuncture
  The same procedure as electroacupuncture except stimulation
  Other Name: Sham
• Procedure: Electroacupuncture
  Electrodes are applied to bilateral "Hegu(L14)" acupoints at the time of 1h before operation, and connected to Hwato Electronic Acupuncture Treatment Instrument (Model No. SDZ-V, Suzhou Medical Appliances Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China). The acupoints are stimulated at an intensity of 3~6 mA and a frequency of 2/30 Hz for 30 min. The highest intensity will be chosen at which the patient can tolerate.
  Other Names:

  • Electroacupuncture preconditioning
  • Electroacupuncture pretreatment
  • Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation

• Experimental: Electroacupuncture
  Patients received electroacupuncture stimulation
  Intervention: Procedure: Electroacupuncture
• Sham Comparator: Non-electroacupuncture
  Patients received sham electroacupuncture
  Intervention: Procedure: non-electroacupuncture

Inclusion Criteria:

• selective nasal sinus surgery
• selective mammaplasty
• patients who accept the follow-up and sign the informed consent
• ASA 1~2

Exclusion Criteria:

• emergent surgery
• pregnant or breast-feeding women
• coagulopathy
• history of gastrointestinal ulcer
• liver or renal dysfunction
• enrollment in other clinical trials at the same time not reaching the primary endpoint and probably interference the present trial