Acupuncture for the Postcholecystectomy Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Yin Z, Xiao Q, Xu G, Cheng Y, Yang H, Zhou J, Fu Y, Chen J, Zhao L, Liang F · Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · 2020 July 30
DOI 10.1155/2020/7509481
Objective
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of postcholecystectomy syndrome (PCS) using randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Conclusions
The results of this review indicate that acupuncture may improve the overall symptoms of postcholecystectomy syndrome. The reported acupuncture-related adverse events are mild and acceptable. However, this study lacks conclusive evidence due to poor quality evidence, limited data, and clinical heterogeneity of acupuncture methods in the included studies.
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Insights
Acupuncture shows promise in treating postcholecystectomy syndrome.
Acupuncture may offer relief for Postcholecystectomy Syndrome (PCS), as revealed by a systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 RCTs with 1593 participants. While acupuncture combined with conventional medicine didn't significantly reduce pain, it significantly lowered postoperative nausea and vomiting incidence and improved gastrointestinal recovery compared to conventional medicine alone. However, the study acknowledges the limitations of included RCTs, including small sample sizes and low methodological quality. Further high-quality trials conforming to standardized reporting are needed to validate these findings. Adverse events related to acupuncture were reported as mild and acceptable. Further research is crucial for definitive conclusions regarding acupuncture's efficacy for PCS.
