Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Gastrointestinal Function After Cesarean Section

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical technique that involves the insertion of needles at acupoints to treat diseases.Clinical evidence supports the efficacy of acupuncture treatment in many applications. Some previous studies reported that stimulation at some acupoint exerted good effects on the digestive system.Compared with acupuncture, transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation(TEAS) is a non-invasive technique that has similar effects to acupuncture.We hypothesize that TEAS before anesthesia and during surgery would decrease the morbidity and mortality of postoperative complications in 30 days after Cesarean section.

Inclusion criteria

• ASA physical status 1or2, scheduled for elective cesarean section under combined spinal epidural anesthesia
• Gestational age ≥38 weeks
• Provide written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• ASA status≥Ⅲ
• Patients undergoing surgery within 12 h of admission to hospital
• Patients with fetal anomaly，medical or obstetric complications such as Diabetes mellitus、Hypertension、Obesity(BMW≥35)
• Patients suffered from drug addiction or impaired mental state
• Patients who have a history of gastrointestinal surgery or chronic gastrointestinal disease.
• Patients with contraindications to the use of electro-acupuncture, such as skin damage or infection at the acupoints
• Patients with experience of transcutaneous electrical stimulation treatment
• Participate in the other clinical trial 3 months before the enrollment
• Not suitable to participate in this experiment