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NCT Number: NCT07238504

Acupuncture for Post-hemorrhoidectomy Pain Control

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if acupuncture improves pain control after hemorrhoidectomy in patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids. It will also learn about the safety of using acupuncture in surgical patients. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does acupuncture lower the maximal pain intensity after hemorrhoidectomy? Does acupuncture reduce analgesics requirement, length of hospital stay and quality of recovery?

Researchers will compare fully active acupuncture to a sham treatment (a look-alike procedure with minimum acupuncture stimulation) to see if active acupuncture works to improve pain control.

Participants will:

Receive acupuncture treatment for 7 times over first 5 days after surgery. Visit the clinic once 2 weeks after surgery for checkups and tests. Keep a diary of their symptoms and the number of times they take pain-killers.

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Key information

Conditions

Hemorrhoidectomy Acupuncture Hemorrhoid Pain

Age range

18 year–90 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Symptomatic grade III or IV hemorrhoids undergoing conventional hemorrhoidectomy

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients scheduled for stapled hemorrhoidopexy
  • Concomitant surgery other than conventional hemorrhoidectomy
  • Bleeding tendency, thrombocytopenia (platelet count < 100 x 10^9/L)
  • Immunocompromised status or use of chemotherapy
  • Active dermatitis
  • Patients with pacemaker or automated implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
  • Pregnant patients
  • Known allergy to opioids, local anaesthetic drugs, paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) including cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors
  • History of chronic pain (duration for 3 months or more)
  • Daily use of strong opioids (e.g. morphine, fentanyl, hydromorphone, methadone, oxycodone, or meperidine)
  • Alcohol or drug abuse
  • Psychiatric illness
  • Impaired renal function (preoperative serum creatinine level > 120µmol/L)
  • Recent acupuncture treatment for other medical conditions

Treatment and study plan

Acupuncture

Procedure

Acupuncture to 6 specific acupoints, 3 distant acupoints and electrical stimulation to 4 pairs of local acupoints.

Other names: Fully active acupuncture

Primary outcomes

  1. Maximal pain intensity

    Time frame: Post-operative day 1

    Numeric rating scale (minimum at 0 means 'no pain', maximum at 10 means 'worst pain')

Secondary outcomes

  1. Maximal and resting pain intensity

    Time frame: Post-operative day 0, 2 to 7 and 14

    Numeric rating scale (minimum at 0 means 'no pain', maximum at 10 mean 'worst pain')

  2. Dosage of analgesics requirement

    Time frame: Post-operative 2 weeks

    Dosage of paracetamol, tramadol and celecoxib tablets taken per day over the first post-operative 2 weeks

  3. Length of hospital stay

    Time frame: Post-operative day 1

  4. Functional recovery questionnaire

    Time frame: Post-operative 1 week (time to first bowel motion, time to first urination and time to return to work, counted from the day of operation)

  5. Adverse effect

    Time frame: Post-operative 2 weeks

    Effect from analgesics and acupuncture

  6. Quality of recovery (QoR)

    Time frame: Post-operative day 1

    QoR-15 questionnaire, which includes 15 questions scoring at a 10-point scale. Minimum at 0 means worst outcome and maximum at 10 means best outcome.

  7. Serum C-reactive protein level

    Time frame: Post-operative day 0 and 1

Study contacts

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

Pak Chiu Wong

CONTACT

[email protected]

+852-70836168

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The University of Hong Kong

Other

Collaborators

  • School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong

Registry information

Official study title

Acupuncture for Post-hemorrhoidectomy Pain Control With Acute Anti-inflammatory Effects: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Nov 20, 2025
Registry last updated
Dec 2, 2025

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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