Retrospective Analysis of the Effect of Auricular Acupuncture on Pain and Gastrointestinal Motility Recovery After Laparoscopic Surgery for Colorectal Cancer

Objective: To investigate the effect of auricular acupuncture on postoperative pain and gastrointestinal motility recovery after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer. Methods: The clinical data of patients who underwent laparoscopic radical surgery for colorectal cancer in our hospital from April 2020 to December 2021 were collected. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 76 patients were included in the retrospective analysis. Depending on whether they received auricular acupuncture or not, the patients were divided into two groups: 46 patients in the experimental group (auricular acupuncture) and 30 patients in the control group. The differences between the two groups were analyzed. Results: The time to first flatus of the experimental group was significantly shorter than that of the control group (52.2 ± 7.36 h versus 66.3 ± 7.83 h; P < 0.001). Similarly, the time to first defecation of the experimental group was significantly shorter than that of the control group (76.3 ± 7.76 h versus 86.1 ± 10.79 h; P < 0.001). The time to first fluid intake of the auricular group was significantly shorter than that of the control group (90.4 ± 8.92 h versus 107.3 ± 9.66 h, P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the experimental group scored significantly lower on the visual analogue scale on postoperative days 2 and 3 (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Auricular acupuncture is an effective traditional Chinese medicine external treatment method. It can promote gastrointestinal motility recovery in patients after laparoscopic radical surgery for colorectal cancer and also reduce postoperative pain and discomfort. Furthermore, this therapy is easy to operate and well-accepted by patients. Therefore, it should be strongly promoted in clinical practice.