Postoperative acute and chronic phase pain control with electroacupuncture in the laparoskopic cholecyctectomy

ABSTRACT POSTOPERATIVE ACUTE AND CHRONIC PHASE PAIN CONTROL WITH ELECTROACUPUNCTURE IN THE LAPAROSKOPIC CHOLECYCTECTOMY The patients, whose gallbladders removed in gallbladder surgery, have postop pains in incision area and in their right shoulders depending on the surgical incision and due to cholecystectomy and these pains restrict the patients' postop comfort and the movements. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture which used to reduce postop pain and the electroacupuncture's effect of reducing the need for painkillers. The patients, who consulted for the abdominal complaints and were diagnosed with calculus in their gallbladders, were prospectively and randomly divided into three groups which consist of 25 patients: the routine postop analgesia procedure without the application of electroacupuncture was applied to the first group, electroacupuncture was applied the second group every morning and evening for 3 days, and also electroacupuncture was applied to the third group every morning and evening for 3 days and one week intervals for 1 month. For the evaluation of patients with acute pain, VAS (Linear analoque pain scala) was used at perop, postop 2, 24 and 48th hour. In the evaluation of chronic pain three separate studies were performed: the incidence of chronic abdominal pain, the effects of the chronic abdominal pain on functions, the severity of the chronic abdominal pain. The patients' postop second hour VAS scores were determined and 1 mg/kg dose of intramuscular meperidine were performed. As electroacupuncture, 60 Hz alternating current was applied for 20 minutes. Liv 3, Li 4, PC 6, Sp 6, St 25, St 36, Gb 34, BL 19 points used for the selection of point. There were nostatistical significant difference before operation for pain scores of groupes (p>0.05). Postoperative early period evaluation in second and twentyfourth hour after operation there were statistical significant low pain scores in acupuncture aplicated group (p<0.05), but here were nostatistical significant difference for pain scores of groupes after fourthyeight hours after operation (p>0.05). There were nostatistical significant difference for chronic pain evaluation, chronic pain incidence, activity limitation dependent on pain and determination of pain intensity of groupes (p>0.05). According to early year and first year results the implementation of postop electroacupuncture in laparoscopic cholecystectom operations is a new application which has more promising results with less pain and less use of painkillers. Keywords: Laparoscopic Cholecystectom, Pain, The Electroacupuncture,