Wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA) applied within 1 hour postoperatively significantly reduces pain, urinary retention and need for additional analgesics after a haemorrhoidectomy.
In this study, patients who underwent a haemorrhoidectomy between June 2024 and March 2025 were divided into three groups: a control group that received conventional care, an immediate analgesia group where WAA was applied at the onset of pain, and a preemptive analgesia group where WAA was applied within 1 hour after surgery before pain began. The acupuncture needles were retained for 6 hours in both intervention groups. The main outcomes studied was the 24-hour pain progression, cumulative pain burden, and peak pain intensity, while secondary outcomes included incidence of postoperative urinary retention and additional analgesic requirement.
The preemptive group consistently had lower pain scores from 6 to 24 hours after surgery, compared to the control and immediate groups. Both intervention groups experienced a reduced cumulative pain burden compared to the control group, with the preemptive group having the lowest burden. The preemptive group also had significantly less intense peak pain versus the control group, but there was no significant difference in peak pain between the control and immediate groups. Preemptive acupuncture also significantly reduced the occurrence of postoperative urinary retention. Moreover, fewer additional analgesics were needed in both intervention groups compared to the control group. No cases of fainting or subcutaneous haemorrhages occurred during the treatment period.
