From pioneering to innovation: A comprehensive review of acupuncture anesthesia in cardiothoracic surgeries.

The evolution of acupuncture anesthesia (AA) has spanned six decades. Cardiothoracic surgery serves as a representative case study to illustrate this evolution. Reflecting on its historical development, the use of AA in cardiothoracic surgery has advanced from basic AA procedures in the 1960s to combined acupuncture and drug anesthesia techniques in the early 1980s.

[Modern acupuncture anesthesia and its clinical practice].

Acupuncture anesthesia is an innovative anesthesia technique which combines acupuncture therapy of traditional Chinese medicine with western anesthesia and surgery. Modern acupuncture anesthesia technology involves comprehensive preoperative evaluation and application, intraoperative assistance in anesthesia, and enhanced recovery after surgery, forming a set of perioperative management models with Chinese characteristics. In the present paper, we comprehensively summarized the application scenarios (including craniocerebral operations, neck surgery, cardiac and thoracic surgery, abdominal operation, obstetrical and gynecological operations, anorectal operation, and orthopedic operation) and values (such as analgesia, reduction in nausea and vomiting, accelerating recovery of gastrointestinal function, regulating immune function, etc.

[Progress of the application research of modern acupuncture anesthesia in perioperative period of thoracic surgery].

Modern acupuncture anesthesia is the application of acupuncture-related therapies to optimize the perioperative management which is based on the combined acupuncture-medicine anesthesia technology, and building a perioperative acupuncture anesthesia accelerated rehabilitation system. Based on the thoracic surgery, this paper analyzes and summarizes the application effects of modern acupuncture anesthesia, focusing on preoperative anxiety relief and advanced analgesia； reduce the dosage of anesthetics, stable respiration and hemodynamics, anti-stress and organ protection during surgery； postoperative analgesia, prevention of nausea, vomiting and cognitive impairment, improvement of gastrointestinal function, prevention of cognitive impairment, and enhancement of immunity. It is anticipated that this review may provide a basis for the further promotion and application of modern acupuncture anesthesia in clinical practice.

Association between admission hemoglobin level and prognosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Anaemia is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is a major risk factor that contributes to mortality in such patients. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the leading causes of CKD. The association between admission hemoglobin levels and renal damage in patients with T2DM remains unclear.

Electroacupuncture Attenuates Surgical Stress-Induced Reduction of T Lymphocytes through Modulation of Peripheral Opioid System.

Objective: To investigate the action mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) on postoperative immunosuppression.

Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice (5`-7 weeks old) were randomly divided into: the sham injury group, the surgical trauma stressed group, the EA group [surgery + 2/100 Hz EA at Neiguan (PC 6)], and the EA+ Nal (surgery + EA + intraperitoneal injection of naloxone). Abdominal surgical trauma stress mice model was established.

[Post-operative management for 86 cases of heart valve replacement surgery patients undergoing transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation combined with general anesthesia].

Objective: To summarize post-operative management strategy for heart valve replacement surgery under transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) combined with general anesthesia.

Methods: From July 2006 to June 2012, a total of 86 cases of open-heart surgery patients experiencing TEAS plus general anesthesia with cardiopulmonary bypass (heart valve replacement surgery without intubation) were recruited in the present summary. Post-operative managements in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were administrated with strict hemodynamic monitoring for volume infusion, routine administration of vasoactive drugs (including dopamine and nitroglycerin), oxygen inhalation, and analgesics and monitoring of central nervous system and renal function.

[Electroacupuncture intervention combined with general anesthesia for 80 cases of heart valve replacement surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass].

Objective: To determine whether electroacupuncture (EA) intervention combined with general anesthesia (GA) strategy can reduce early post-operative morbidity and medical costs in patients undergoing heart valve replacement operation under cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods: A total of 160 heart valve replacement surgery patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass were randomly divided into GA and EA + GA groups (n = 80 in each group). Patients of the GA group were given with intravenous injection of Fentanyl, Midazolam, Vecuronium Bromide, etc.

Acupuncture anesthesia for open heart surgery in contemporary China.

Background: Although the use of acupuncture anesthesia for open heart surgery, which was introduced in China four decades ago, has declined in recent years, there is a renewed interest in it in contemporary China due to the escalating medical costs associated with open heart surgery. This study was aimed to determine whether a combined acupuncture-medicine anesthesia (CAMA) strategy reduces early postoperative morbidity and medical costs in patients undergoing open heart operation under cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods: From July 2006 to October 2010, CAMA was applied in 100 patients undergoing open heart surgery in comparison with another 100 patients under the conventional general anesthesia (GA).