Randomised, controlled study of preoperative electroacupuncture for postoperative pain control after cardiac surgery.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the effects of preoperative electroacupuncture (EA) on the need for opioids in the postoperative stage of conventional cardiac surgery.

Methods: A prospective, randomised and controlled study was conducted at Unimed Hospital Centre in Joinville, SC, Brazil. The day before the surgery, 32 patients undergoing cardiac surgery were randomised into two groups: patients from the treatment group received preoperative EA at bilateral points (LI4-LI11, LR3-ST36, PC6-TE5) for 30 min with alternating frequencies of 3 and 15 Hz.