Efficacy of TEAS on Postoperative Pain and Recovery in Patients Undergoing Pancreatectomy

July 14, 2025 updated by: Chunling Jiang, West China Hospital

Efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Postoperative Pain and Recovery in Patients Undergoing Pancreatectomy: a Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to access the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on postoperative pain in patients undergoing pancreatectomy

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Patients who meet the enrollment criteria will be randomized 1:1 to either the transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) or the sham groups. In the TEAS group, the acupoints are bilateral neiguan (PC6), Zusanli (ST 36), Hegu (L14) and Waiguan (SJ5) acupoints. The treatment will consist of two phases: a 30-minute stimulation administered 30 minutes before anesthesia induction, and a 30-minute stimulation session once daily on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. The stimulation intensity will be adjusted in accordance with the maximal level tolerated by each patient. Patients in the sham group will receive electrode attachment but without stimulation.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
132

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Age 18-80 years old; ASA physical status class I - III; Patients scheduled for pancreatectomy.

Exclusion Criteria:

Have a history of epilepsy; Rash or local infection over the acupoint stimulation skin area; Pregnancy or breastfeeding; Mental retardation, psychiatric, or neurological disease; Inability to comprehend the numeric rating scale (NRS); Implantation of a cardiac pacemaker, cardioverter, or defibrillator; Chronic opioid use; Metastases in other organs; Have a history of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupuncture Stimulation (TEAS) or electroacupuncture treatment in the past or recently；

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Sham Comparator: sham group
Patients in the sham group will receive electrode attachment but without stimulation.
Device: sham transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation
Patients in the sham group will receive electrode attachment but without stimulation.
Experimental: TEAS group
In the TEAS group, the acupoints are bilateral neiguan (PC6), Zusanli (ST 36), Hegu (L14) and Waiguan (SJ5) acupoints. The treatment will consist of two phases: a 30-minute stimulation administered 30 minutes before anesthesia induction, and a 30-minute stimulation session once daily on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. The stimulation intensity will be adjusted in accordance with the maximal level tolerated by each patient. Patients in the sham group will receive electrode attachment but without stimulation.
Device: transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation
Patients in the TEAS group, the acupoints are bilateral neiguan (PC6), Zusanli (ST 36), Hegu (L14) and Waiguan (SJ5) acupoints. The treatment will consist of two phases: a 30-minute stimulation administered 30 minutes before anesthesia induction, and a 30-minute stimulation session once daily on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. The stimulation intensity will be adjusted in accordance with the maximal level tolerated by each patient. Patients in the sham group will receive electrode attachment but without stimulation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
highest NRS pain score for movement-evoked pain (defined as deep breathing or forced coughing three times) during 72 hours postoperatively.
Time Frame: Up to 72 hours postoperatively
The pain is evaluated using numerical rating scale(NRS). NRS scores range from 0 to 10 points, with 0 points representing no pain, and 10 points representing the strongest pain.
Up to 72 hours postoperatively

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The cumulative morphine consumption at 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively.
Time Frame: Up to 72 hours postoperatively
Postoperative opioid use is reported as morphine milligram equivalents, calculated using the Practical Pain Management calculator
Up to 72 hours postoperatively
The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting during the first 24,48,72 hours.
Time Frame: Up to 72 hours postoperatively
We considered it PONV if patients felt any nausea or had any vomiting.
Up to 72 hours postoperatively
The incidence of a composite of postoperative pulmonary complications during hospitalization.
Time Frame: Up to 7 days postoperatively
Defined as positive if any component developed before discharge after surgery; These complications included respiratory infection, respiratory failure, pleural effusion, atelectasis, pneumothorax, bronchospasm, or aspiration pneumonitis loading dose, during hospitalization after surgery.
Up to 7 days postoperatively
Quality of Recovery Scale Score at 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery.
Time Frame: Up to 3 days postoperatively
The global QoR-15 score ranges from 0 to 150 and is categorized as five quality of recovery dimensions, including physical comfort (5 items), emotional state (4 items), psychological support (2 items), physical independence (2 items), and pain (2 items). Each piece is graded using an 11-point Likert scale. The QoR is classified according to the QoR-15 score as excellent (QoR-15 > 135), good (122 ≤ QoR-15 ≤ 135), moderate (90 ≤ QoR-15 ≤ 121) and poor (QoR-15 < 90).
Up to 3 days postoperatively
The postoperative sleep quality score
Time Frame: Up to 3 days postoperatively
Postoperative sleep quality was evaluated using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). The AIS consists of 8 items: waking up at night, sleep induction, final awakening, total sleep duration, sleep quality, well-being, functional ability, and daytime sleepiness. The AIS score ranges from 0 to 24 points, and a total score of 6 points or higher indicates a diagnosis of insomnia
Up to 3 days postoperatively
The plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), beta-endorphin, serotonin (5-HT), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th postoperative days
Time Frame: Up to 5 days postoperatively]
Peripheral blood C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), beta-endorphin, serotonin (5-HT), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are measured at the 1st, 3rd, and 5th postoperative
Up to 5 days postoperatively]
the highest NRS pain score at rest during 72 h postoperatively
Time Frame: Up to 72 hours postoperatively
The pain is evaluated using numerical rating scale(NRS). NRS scores range from 0 to 10 points, with 0 points representing no pain, and 10 points representing the strongest pain.
Up to 72 hours postoperatively

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
West China Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Luo Fengming, PhD, West China Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 16, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 2, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 2, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 2, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 7, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 17, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 14, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2024HX0803

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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