Getting to the point about acupuncture anesthesia
Dr Zhou Jia explains acupuncture anesthesia to a patient and her family. Acupuncture anesthesia is said to be able to reduce after-surgery pain and complications, speed up recovery and reduce patients' hospitalization durations.
Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine has announced it has fulfilled clinical guidance to regulate and direct acupuncture anesthesia.
It has become the nation's largest clinical center of the technique, which is recognized by the World Health Organization.
A documentary about acupuncture anesthesia issued by local TV station was also released over the weekend.
In the practice, acupuncture is used to assist anesthetic procedure to help patients better endure surgery, suffer less of the trauma and potential complications of anesthesia, and enjoy a quicker recovery.
"Acupuncture working with anesthetics gives patients a light sleep while still breathing under their own accord," said Zhou Jia, president of Yueyang Hospital and leading scientist of the project. "No tracheal intubation is needed."
Zhou's team initiated the theory of a combination of acupuncture and anesthesia in 2001 and has formed a complete theory and guideline after repeated practice. The technique was first used in heart and lung surgery.
A cocktail of weak and less anesthetic in combination with acupuncture can have a much more powerful effect.
With practice, anesthesia can be reduced by half to one-fifth.
So the risk of related complications of anesthesia is also reduced and patients wake up soon after surgery and start to drink water and eat.
The surgery is carried out successfully.
The practice has since been introduced in more fields such as breast, neck and brain surgery. It is also used in procedures like colonscopy and gastroscopy.
"Acupuncture anesthesia reduces after-surgery pain and complications, speeds up recovery and reduces patients' hospitalization durations," Zhou said.
"We have published articles in journals home and abroad, receiving wide attention in the medical field."
Experts said their next step is to further study the clinical effects of acupuncture anesthesia.
Also carry out research on its mechanism and the relation between acupuncture and anesthesia to boost wider and international recognition and promotion.
