Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with electroacupuncture promotes rapid recovery after abdominal surgery: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

The most frequent complications after abdominal surgery include a decrease or loss of appetite, abdominal distension, abdominal pain caused by reduced gastrointestinal motility, anal arrest with intestinal distension and defecation, and nausea and vomiting due to anesthetic and opioid analgesic administration. These complications severely affect postoperative recovery, prolong hospital stay, and increase the financial burden. The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of three acupoint stimulation modalities (electroacupuncture [EA], transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation [TEAS], and transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation combined with EA [TEAS+EA]), and two EA instrument waveforms (continuous wave and dilatational wave) for rapid recovery after abdominal surgery.