Effects of Auricular Acupressure Combined With Heat-Sensitive Moxibustion on Gastrointestinal Hormone Levels and Recovery of Gastrointestinal Function After Laparoscopic Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: This single-center retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of auricular acupressure combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion in promoting gastrointestinal functional recovery and regulating gastrointestinal hormone levels in patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. METHODS: A total of 68 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent laparoscopic radical resection at Ningde Municipal Hospital affiliated to Ningde Normal University from January to December 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. According to the postoperative intervention measures received, the patients were divided into an intervention group (n = 34, standard postoperative care plus auricular acupressure combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion) and a control group (n = 34, only standard postoperative care). The primary outcome indicators included the time to first flatus, time to recovery of bowel sounds, and time to first defecation after surgery. The secondary outcome indicators included the incidence and severity of postoperative abdominal distension, abdominal distension scores and bowel sound scores at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after surgery, and the levels of gastrointestinal hormones (gastrin [GAS], motilin [MTL], gastric inhibitory polypeptide [GIP]) detected by radioimmunoassay before surgery and 5 days after surgery. The clinical data of the two groups were collected and statistically analyzed to compare the differences in each outcome indicator. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in baseline demographic data, clinical characteristics and operative variables between the two groups (p > 0.05), with good comparability. The time to first flatus, time to recovery of bowel sounds and time to first defecation in the intervention group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (all p < 0.05). At 72 h after surgery, the incidence of abdominal distension in the intervention group (67.65%) was significantly lower than that in the control group (88.24%), and the severity of abdominal distension in the intervention group was milder than that in the control group (p < 0.05). The abdominal distension scores and bowel sound scores of the intervention group at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after surgery were significantly lower than those of the control group (all p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the levels of GAS, MTL and GIP between the two groups before surgery (p > 0.05). At 5 days after surgery, the levels of the three gastrointestinal hormones in both groups were changed compared with those before surgery, and the levels of GAS, MTL and GIP in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Auricular acupressure combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion can effectively shorten the recovery time of gastrointestinal function, reduce the incidence and severity of postoperative abdominal distension, and effectively regulate the levels of gastrointestinal hormones in patients after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. It is a safe and effective non-pharmacological adjuvant therapy for postoperative clinical management, and is worthy of clinical promotion and application.