Clinical efficacy of Chaishao Chengqi decoction oral administration combined with indirect moxibustion at Shenque acupoint on gastrointestinal function recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy
YAN Ge-fei,YE Nan-nan,LIAN Zhi-Min
Guang zhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine General Surgery, Guangzhou 510800, China
Abstract:
Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of oral administration of Chaishao Chengqi decoction combined with indirect moxibustion at Shenque acupoint in promoting gastrointestinal function recovery in patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and to analyze its potential mechanism of action. Methods 120 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy at our institution between June 2022 and June 2025 was prospectively enrolled. Participants were randomized into two groups: a control group (n=60) receiving standard postoperative care, and an observation group (n=60) receiving adjunctive therapy comprising oral Chaishao Chengqi decoction combined with indirect moxibustion at the CV8 (Shenque) acupoint. Comparative analysis encompassed gastrointestinal functional recovery indices, visual analogue scale (VAS) and I-FEED scores, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, gastrointestinal hormone profiles, inflammatory cytokine levels, and overall clinical efficacy. Results The observation group demonstrated significantly accelerated resumption of gastrointestinal function versus controls, evidenced by shorter time to first flatus, first defecation, and bowel sound resumption (P <0.05). At postoperative day 5, the observation group exhibited markedly reduced VAS and I-FEED scores compared to the control group (P <0.05). TCM syndrome scores were significantly lower in the observation group at both 48 hours and 5 days postoperatively (P <0.05). Repeated-measures ANOVA confirmed statistically significant main effects for time and group allocation, alongside a significant time-group interaction (all P <0.001). By day 5, serum motilin(MTL) and gastrin(GAS) levels were substantially elevated in the observation group, while vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP) levels were significantly suppressed relative to controls (P <0.05). Serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly attenuated in the observation group compared to the control group at postoperative day 5 (P <0.05). The observation group achieved a significantly higher overall response rate (93.33% vs 75.00%, P <0.05). Conclusion Oral administration of Chaishao Chengqi decoction combined with indirect moxibustion at Shenque acupoint can effectively promote gastrointestinal function recovery in patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, alleviate pain and gastrointestinal dysfunction, improve TCM syndromes, regulate gastrointestinal hormone levels, and reduce inflammatory factor levels, with remarkable clinical efficacy.
