This trial investigates how well acupuncture works for the management of pain after surgery in patients having open colorectal or pancreatic surgery. Acupuncture may help to reduce postoperative symptoms including pain. This study may help researchers learn if acupuncture reduces after-surgery side effects and improves recovery.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. Determine the feasibility of providing postoperative acupuncture for patients undergoing open colorectal or pancreatic surgery. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: I. Compare postoperative opioid use for pain management, pain levels, and satisfaction of pain control between acupuncture and standard care groups. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE: I. Compare dietary recovery and postoperative length of stay between acupuncture and standard care groups. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I (ACUPUNCTURE): Beginning the day after surgery, patients undergo acupuncture sessions over 25 minutes once daily (QD) for up to 7 days. Patients also undergo usual care including preoperative visits to the primary surgical team, anesthesia preoperative evaluation, referrals to other specialties for perioperative evaluation and optimization of comorbid conditions if necessary, surgical operations, postoperative hospitalization, and post-discharge clinic visits. ARM II (USUAL CARE): Patients undergo usual care including preoperative visits to the primary surgical team, anesthesia preoperative evaluation, referrals to other specialties for perioperative evaluation and optimization of comorbid conditions if necessary, surgical operations, postoperative hospitalization, and post-discharge clinic visits.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
70
Undergo acupuncture
Undergo usual care
Ancillary studies
M D Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, United States
Adherence rate to daily acupuncture
Acupuncturist will document in the medical record all the treatments participants are completing and also document if missing any treatments.
Time frame: Up to 7 days
Compliance
Acupuncturist and research coordinator will document in EPIC if participant is compliant with acupuncture sessions (study intervention) and with study questionnaires.
Time frame: Up to 7 days
Retention
Will be measured as percentage of patients who complete the study out of the number of patients after study randomization.
Time frame: Up to 7 days
Postoperative opioid use for pain management
Will be compared between acupuncture and standard care groups. Will estimate the mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI). Secondary analyses will be performed using analysis of covariance by adjusting for the postoperative opioid requirement for the first 24 hours (and/or other relevant patient characteristics).
Time frame: 24 hours
Pain levels
Pain will be measured by the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) core symptoms to obatain data on satisfaction of pain control and other symptom mamgement starting on PDO1 and then every other day until discharge
Time frame: Up to 7 days
Satisfaction of pain control
The satisfaction of pain control will be assessed using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI). The MDASI consists of a core list of symptoms that are common across all cancer diagnoses and treatments \[15\]. Participants will rate the intensity of physical, affective, and cognitive symptoms on a 0 to 10 numeric scale from "not present" to "as bad as you can imagine." Participants will also rate the amount of interference with daily activities caused by symptoms on a 0 to 10 numeric scale from "did not interfere" to "interfere completely"
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Time frame: Up to 7 days