[Effects of electroacupuncture of different acupoint groups on sevoflurane anesthesia in patients undergoing resection of supratentorial tumors]

Abstract

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of different acupoint groups on the sevoflurane anesthetic requirement for resection of supratentorial tumors and the speed of post-operation recovery.

Methods: A total of 120 cases of supratentorial tumor resection patients were randomly and equally allocated into general anesthesia (GA) group, EA-proximal acupoints group (EA-PA group) and EA-distant acupoints group (EA-DA group). The supratentorial tumor patients were anesthetized with sevoflurane for surgery. Proximal acupoints used were Fengchi (GB 20), Tianzhu (BL 10), Cuanzhu (BL 2) and Yuyao (EX-HN 4) that the former 2 acupoints and the latter 2 acupoints were for penetrative needling; and distant acupoints used were Hegu (LI 4), Waiguan (TE 5), Jinmen (BL 63), Taichong (LR 3), Zusanli (ST 36) and Qiuxu (GB 40) on the craniotomy side, and stimulated with EA (2 Hz/100 Hz, a tolerable electric stimulating strength), beginning from the anesthesia induction till the end of surgical operation. All patients were anesthetized by inhalation of propofol (2 mg/kg), sufentanil (0.3 microg/kg) and vecuronium bromide (0.1 mg/kg) and maintained with sevoflurane. The end-tidal sevoflurane concentration, minimum alveolar concentration (MAC), bispectral index (BIS), and the speed of recovery were recorded.

Results: In comparison with the GA group, the end-tidal concentrations during anesthesia maintenance at the time-points of post skull drilling, dura incising, intracranial operation in EA-PA group, the time-points of post skull drilling, skull opening, dura incising, and intracranial operation in EA-DA group, and the MAC of sevoflurane at the time-points of skull drilling in EA-DA group, and skull opening, dura incising, intracranial operation and dura suturing in both EA-PA and EA-DA groups were significantly lower (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared to the GA group, the BIS values of EA-DA group at the time-points of skull drilling and opening, and dura incising were significantly higher (P < 0.05), while during the recovery stage of anesthesia, in comparison with the GA group, the autonomous respiration recovery time, tracheo-tube removing time, eye-opening time, voluntary motion recovery time, orientation force recovery time, and operating room-departure time of both EA-PA and EA-DA groups were significantly shorter (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the EA-PA and EA-DA groups in the aforementioned indexes (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: EA of both proximal and distant acupoints can reduce the expired concentration and MAC of sevoflurane during anesthesia maintenance, and accelerate the recovery after cease of anesthesia in supratentorial tumor resection patients.