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NCT Number: NCT07787871

Effect of Acupressure on Postoperative Pain After Laparoscopic Totally Extraperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair

This randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the effect of acupressure on postoperative pain following laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair.

A total of 90 participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: standard postoperative care alone (control group), true acupressure plus standard care, or sham acupressure plus standard care. Acupressure will be applied at postoperative hours 1, 4, and 8 using the bilateral P6 (Neiguan), LI4 (Hegu), ST36 (Zusanli), and SP6 (Sanyinjiao) acupoints. The sham group will receive pressure at non-acupuncture points.

The primary outcome is postoperative pain intensity measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes include analgesic consumption, postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to mobilization, patient satisfaction, and postoperative complications.

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Key information

Conditions

Postoperative Pain Hernia Hernia, Abdominal Hernia, Inguinal Inguinal Hernia Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pain, Postoperative Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Anatomical Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Postoperative Complications Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital

Istanbul, 34752, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location status: Recruiting

About this study

Postoperative pain after laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair remains an important clinical problem despite advances in minimally invasive surgery. Acupressure is a non-invasive complementary therapy that may reduce postoperative pain and improve recovery.

This prospective, randomized, sham-controlled, three-arm clinical trial will enroll 90 adult patients undergoing elective laparoscopic TEP inguinal hernia repair.

Participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1:1 ratio into:

  • Control group: Standard postoperative care only.
  • Acupressure group: Standard postoperative care plus bilateral acupressure applied at P6 (Neiguan), LI4 (Hegu), ST36 (Zusanli), and SP6 (Sanyinjiao).
  • Sham acupressure group: Standard postoperative care plus pressure applied to non-acupuncture points.

Each intervention will be administered at postoperative hours 1, 4, and 8. Pressure will be applied manually for approximately 3 minutes at each point bilaterally by trained personnel.

Pain intensity will be evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at predetermined postoperative time points. Secondary outcomes include total analgesic consumption, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to mobilization, patient satisfaction, and postoperative complications.

The study is designed to determine whether true acupressure provides additional benefit beyond standard care and whether its effects differ from sham acupressure, thereby distinguishing specific therapeutic effects from placebo responses.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults aged 18 to 75 years
  • Diagnosis of a unilateral primary inguinal hernia
  • Scheduled to undergo elective laparoscopic total extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I to III without an anticipated need for postoperative intensive care
  • Ability to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Bilateral inguinal hernia

  • Recurrent inguinal hernia
  • Strangulated inguinal hernia
  • History of open lower abdominal surgery
  • Skin infection, wound, or surgical scar at any of the acupressure application sites
  • ASA physical status III with an anticipated need for postoperative intensive care
  • ASA physical status IV
  • Participation in another clinical study within the previous 4 weeks
  • Receipt of acupressure or a similar complementary treatment within the previous 4 weeks
  • Refusal or inability to provide written informed consent

Treatment and study plan

Acupressure

Procedure

Bilateral acupressure is applied at P6, LI4, ST36, and SP6 for 3 minutes per point at postoperative 1, 4, and 8 hours.

sham acupressure

Procedure

Manual pressure is applied to non-acupuncture points using the same duration and schedule as the active acupressure intervention.

Primary outcomes

  1. Postoperative Pain Intensity Assessed by Visual Analog Scale

    Time frame: At postoperative hours 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24

    Postoperative pain intensity will be assessed using a Visual Analog Scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. VAS scores will be recorded at postoperative hours 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 and compared among the study groups.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Rescue Analgesic Requirement

    Time frame: During the first 24 postoperative hours

    The requirement for rescue analgesic medication and the number of analgesic administrations will be recorded from the patient medication chart and compared among the study groups.

  2. Incidence of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

    Time frame: During the first 24 postoperative hours

    The presence of postoperative nausea and the number of vomiting episodes will be recorded and compared among the study groups.

  3. Early Postoperative Complications

    Time frame: During the first 24 postoperative hours

    The occurrence and type of early postoperative complications will be recorded and compared among the study groups.

  4. Rescue Antiemetic Requirement

    Time frame: During the first 24 postoperative hours

    The requirement for rescue antiemetic medication and the number of antiemetic administrations will be recorded from the patient medication chart and compared among the study groups.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

AHMET S YAZ, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+902165783000

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Medipol University

Other

Collaborators

  • Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Acupressure on Postoperative Pain After Laparoscopic Totally Extraperitoneal Inguinal Hernia Repair: A Prospective Three-Arm Randomized Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial

Acronym: TEP-AP

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Aug 26, 2026
Registry last updated
Aug 26, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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