The Pain Intensity of the Patients Who Had Undergone Abdominal Surgery With a Midline Incision

The Effects of Two Different Electrical Stimulation Methods on the Pain Intensity of the Patients Who Had Undergone Abdominal Surgery With a Midline Incision: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) on pain and analgesic drug consumption in patients who had undergone abdominal surgery with a midline incision. Evidence for the effects of and transcutaneous electrical stimulation on pain and analgesic consumption on patients undergoing abdominal surgery with severe pain experience and high levels of neuroendocrine stress response is uncertain.

This research was conducted as a randomized controlled trial. 158 patients who had undergone abdominal surgery with diagnosis of gastric and colorectal cancer were assessed for eligibility. This research sample consisted of 48 patients who underwent abdominal surgery with a midline incision. The patients were randomized into three groups, the first intervention group, which used TENS (around the incision), the second intervention group, which used TAES (ST25, P6, ST36, Lİ4 acupuncture points) and the control group, which did not. Electric stimulation was performed at the 30th minute, second, 18th, 21st, 40th, and 45th hours after the operation. Pain scores and analgesic consumption were assessed in the first 48 hours after surgical intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients who had an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score of I-II
• Patients were aged over 18 years
• Patients who could read and write Turkish
• Patients who were scheduled to undergo elective abdominal surgery with a midline incision for a diagnosis of stomach or colorectal cancer
• Patients without any impairment of vision, hearing or speech

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who had a pacemaker
• Patients whose skin integrity around the incision was degraded
• Patients had a cognitive disorder, had a history of chronic pain, or were suffering from neurological, renal, cardiac or pulmonary disorders that could affect the test results
• Patients with an opioid addiction
• Patients those who had previously undergone electrical stimulation treatment
• Morbidly obese subjects
• Patients using psychoactive drugs