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

NCT07287657 | Enrolling By Invitation

• 1 other identifier: Lin,Chun-Ya
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief 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.

Conditions

Pain, Postoperative

Keywords

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS); Enhanced Recovery After Surgery(ERAS); pain, postoperative; transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation; transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation; acute pain; blood inflammatory biomarkers; quality of life; Anxiety and Depression

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Postoperative Pain Intensity Assessed Using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

  Pain intensity will be assessed using a 10-point Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "worst imaginable pain."

  Within 48 hours after surgery

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Blood Inflammatory Markers

  Within 48 hours after surgery

• Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

  At baseline (preoperative), and after surgery 6 and 48 hours later

Study Arms (3)

Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants receive standard postoperative analgesia according to institutional protocol.

Drug: Standard Analgesia

TENS Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive standard postoperative analgesia combined with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

Drug: Standard Analgesia; Device: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS + TEAS Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive standard postoperative analgesia combined with both transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS).

Drug: Standard Analgesia; Device: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS); Device: Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS)

Interventions

Standard Analgesia DRUG

Postoperative analgesic medications administered according to standard clinical practice and hospital guidelines

Control Group; TENS + TEAS Group; TENS Group

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) DEVICE

Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation therapy applied to specific areas to reduce postoperative pain

TENS + TEAS Group; TENS Group

Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) DEVICE

Electrical stimulation applied to specific acupuncture points through the skin to enhance analgesic efficacy and modulate autonomic function.

TENS + TEAS Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• People who are about to undergo thoracic surgery

You may not qualify if:

• Patients with epilepsy,
• Pacemaker installed
• Severe infections status

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital

Taipei, Hualien, 97002, Taiwan

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Edwards DA, Hedrick TL, Jayaram J, Argoff C, Gulur P, Holubar SD, Gan TJ, Mythen MG, Miller TE, Shaw AD, Thacker JKM, McEvoy MD; POQI-4 Working Group. American Society for Enhanced Recovery and Perioperative Quality Initiative Joint Consensus Statement on Perioperative Management of Patients on Preoperative Opioid Therapy. Anesth Analg. 2019 Aug;129(2):553-566. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004018.

  PMID: 30768461 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain, Postoperative; Acute Pain; Anxiety Disorders; Depression

Interventions

Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Postoperative Complications; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Electric Stimulation Therapy; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation; Analgesia; Anesthesia and Analgesia

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 28, 2025
• First Posted: December 17, 2025
• Study Start: May 28, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2025
• Study Completion: December 31, 2025
• Last Updated: December 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-04

Locations

TW (1)