Application of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) for Management of Postoperative Pain After Gynecological Surgeries: A Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) is a noninvasive technique that involves the application of electrical stimulation to specific acupoints on the skin. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of TEAS in alleviating postoperative pain after gynecological surgeries.

Method: A systematic search of multiple electronic databases was carried out to identify relevant studies that investigated the use of TEAS for postoperative pain management in gynecological surgery settings.

Results: After screening and data extraction, a total of 10 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that TEAS was associated with reduction in postoperative pain intensity compared to control interventions, such as sham stimulation or conventional analgesics. However, this reduction was statistically insignificant (p > .05). Additionally, TEAS was found to be effective in reducing the consumption of analgesic medications and improving patient satisfaction with pain management. The assessment of certainty of evidence revealed a grading of low to moderate.

Conclusions: Overall, the findings of this meta-analysis suggest that TEAS may be a promising adjunctive therapy for alleviating postoperative pain in gynecological surgery patients. However, caution should be exercised when interpreting the results and making clinical recommendations based on the low to moderate quality of the current evidence. Further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these results and establish optimal treatment protocols for TEAS in this patient population.