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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Med.
Sec. Gastroenterology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1503714

Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Length of Stay for Patients After Undergoing Surgery for Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Provisionally accepted
YaDan Xiao YaDan Xiao 1Fei Yang Fei Yang 2*Junliang Zhou Junliang Zhou 3*Yuanling Huang Yuanling Huang 1*Yaxin Xiao Yaxin Xiao 4
  • 1 Dongguan Binhaiwan Central Hospital, Dongguan, China
  • 2 Shenzhen Anorectal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
  • 3 The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
  • 4 Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on the length of stay (LOS) of patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. Methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Network Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Database for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to August 24, 2024. Statistical analyses were performed using the Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager (RevMan 5.4). The quality of the RCTs was assessed using the Cochrane Systematic Review Handbook 5.1 and its recommended risk-of-bias assessment tool.Two independent investigators screened and extracted the data and performed statistical analysis.Results: Seven RCTs were included in the analysis. The findings indicated that TEAS significantly reduced the LOS of patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer (mean difference = -1.36, 95% confidence interval = -1.95 to -0.78, P < 0.00001). Subgroup analyses of outcome measures, intervention methods, and intervention time points demonstrate the significant effect of TEAS on reducing LOS. Conclusions: TEAS effectively shortens the LOS of patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. Future studies should focus on refining TEAS protocols and exploring their effects on other aspects of postoperative recovery to fully establish their roles in perioperative management.

    Keywords: Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation, Length of Stay, colorectal cancer, Perioperative management, Meta-analysis

    Received: 29 Sep 2024; Accepted: 07 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Xiao, Yang, Zhou, Huang and Xiao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Fei Yang, Shenzhen Anorectal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
    Junliang Zhou, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518033, China
    Yuanling Huang, Dongguan Binhaiwan Central Hospital, Dongguan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.