Electroacupuncture on Postoperative Urinary Retention After Radical Surgery for Cervical Cancer

NCT07253194 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: IRB-2025-1315
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 208
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This is a prospective, blinded, single-center, randomized controlled trial. Investigators will include 208 patients with postoperative urinary retention (POUR) after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer who have a clear diagnosis and meet the screening criteria. Participants will be randomly divided into the electroacupuncture（EA）group and the sham EA group according to a 1:1 ratio. Each group consists of 104 patients, and all participants will be required to sign a written informed consent form. The TEAS group will be treated with EA based on conventional treatment, and the shamEA group will be treated with sham EA based on conventional treatment. The main outcomes will be to calculate the proportion of patients who successfully removed the urinary catheter, and the secondary indicators will include the change in post-void residual (PVR) volume of the bladder, assessment of urinary tract infection (UTI), and quality of life assessment according to the EORTC QLQ-C30 scale. Evaluation of participant-reported expectations, blinding, compliance, and safety will also be conducted. All analyses will be conducted in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle.

Conditions

Postoperative Urinary Retention (POUR)

Keywords

Postoperative urinary retention; POUR; Electroacupuncture; EA

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• The response rate of participants who will successfully remove the urinary catheter

  The participants in each group who will remove their urinary catheters after intervention, in proportion to the total number of patients in each group, multiplied by 100%. It can also be understood as the initial cure rate of POUR. The standard for patients to remove the urinary catheter is that the PVR volume is less than 100ml.

  week 0（baseline），and week 2 (after intervention)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• The changes in PVR volume.

  week 0 (baseline), week 2 (after intervention), and week 4 （follow-up）

• Assessment of UTI.

  week 0 (baseline), week 2 (after intervention), and week 4 （follow-up）

• Assessment of patient quality of life.

  week 0 (baseline), week 2 (after intervention), and week 4 （follow-up）

Other Outcomes (4)

• Expectation evaluation

  week 0 (baseline)

• Blinding evaluation

  week 2 (after intervention)

• Compliance evaluation

  week 2 (after intervention), and week 4 （follow-up）

Study Arms (2)

The EA Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive the EA intervention for two consecutive weeks.

Other: EA intervention

The sham EA Group

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants will receive the sham EA intervention for two consecutive weeks.

Other: Sham EA intervention

Interventions

EA intervention OTHER

Participants will undergo EA treatment. Acupoint selection: Shenshu(BL23), Pangguanghu (BL28), Ciliao (BL32), Zhongliao (BL33), Huiyang (BL35), and Zhibian (BL54). Acupuncture needles (0.30 × 50 mm) will be vertically inserted into BL32, BL23, BL28, and BL35 at a depth of 40 ± 8 mm. The disposable acupuncture needle (0.45 × 75 mm) will be inserted into BL54 at a depth of 55 ± 10 mm, with the direction of insertion toward Shuidao (ST28). EA will be applied to the BL32 and BL54 points on both sides of the spine at a frequency of 2 Hz and a stimulation intensity of 2 ± 1.5 mA. Each treatment will last for 30 minutes, 5 days per week, for 2 weeks. Follow-up will be performed 2 weeks after the final treatment.

The EA Group

Sham EA intervention OTHER

Participants will receive sham EA treatment. Acupoint selection: consistent with the EA group. Sham acupuncture procedure: The disposable acupuncture needle (0.25 × 40 mm) will be used, and all acupoints will be shallowly penetrated into the skin using a vertical method, with a needle depth of 5 ± 2 mm. Sham EA application: EA electrodes will be attached identically to the EA group at a frequency of 2 Hz and a nominal intensity of 2 mA. However, no electrical current will be delivered via the EA device, as the connecting wires will undergo specialized modification. Each treatment session will also last 30 minutes, 5 days per week, for 2 weeks. The Follow-up will also be performed 2 weeks after the final treatment.

The sham EA Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 70 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• ① 18 to 70 years old;
• ② Anticipated survival of at least 6 months;
• ③ Met the diagnostic criteria for POUR of cervical cancer, and the duration of POUR is less than 6 months;
• ④ No serious urinary system disease in the past, and no urinary retention before operation;
• ⑤ Karnofsky functional status score (KPS) ≥ 70 points;
• ⑥ Stable vital signs, no serious mental illness, capable of daily living, able to cooperate in completing all treatments and examinations;
• ⑦ Voluntarily participate and sign a written informed consent form.

You may not qualify if:

• ① Obstructive urinary retention, such as urethral stricture or stones induced urinary system diseases;
• ② Merge other serious systemic diseases, and advanced cachexia patients;
• ③ Patients who are intolerant to electrical stimulation therapy, such as those with pacemakers installed;
• ④ With psychiatric disorder or severe cognitive impairment;
• ⑤ Severe skin damage, infection, and ulceration at the treatment site;
• ⑥ Those who are participating in other acupuncture or drug clinical trials.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lu Chao: lead

Central Study Contacts

Chao Lu

CONTACT

15869128904; 1069103617@qq.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Clinical Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 18, 2025
• First Posted: November 28, 2025
• Study Start: January 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 30, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2028
• Last Updated: November 28, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share