The effect of acupressure applied before cystectomy on preoperative anxiety and hemodynamic parameters: Randomized controlled trial

Background

Patients may experience anxiety before cystectomy due to surgical intervention, which may negatively affect their hemodynamic parameters. This study aimed to determine the effect of acupressure on anxiety and hemodynamic parameters in patients undergoing cystectomy.

Material and Method

This single center, prospective, two-arm (1:1), single-blind, randomized controlled trial included 52 patients scheduled for cystectomy. The randomly assigned acupressure group (n = 26) received acupressure at HT7, LI4 and EX-NH3 points for an average of 13 minutes half an hour before surgery, while the sham acupressure group (n = 26) received lighter acupressure at points 1.5 cm away from the same points. Data were collected before and immediately after 10, 20, and 30 minutes of acupressure application using the Visual Analog Scale-Anxiety. The first Clinical Trials registration (NCT05325307) of the study was received on 04.05.2022 before data collection.

Results

In the study, the patients’ anxiety levels before cystectomy were 4.92 ± 1.16 in the acupressure group and 5.35 ± 1.60 in the sham acupressure group. Comparing the two groups revealed no difference between their anxiety levels before the application; however, the anxiety level of the acupressure group was lower than that of the sham acupressure group immediately after the application and 10, 20, and 30 minutes after the application. Additionally, the RR was significantly lower in the acupressure group immediately after the application and at 10 minutes, but other parameters (SBP, DBP, HR, and SpO₂) were not affected compared to the sham acupressure group.

Conclusion

The study showed that acupressure was an effective method for nursing practicing in reducing the anxiety level and affected only the RR among the hemodynamic parameters.