Pain, PostoperativeNCT07287657

Exploring the Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation Therapy on Patients After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

A study testing Standard Analgesia, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) in people with Pain, Postoperative, run by Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital at 1 site in Taiwan.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record

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Trial summary

Who is it for?: Ages 15 years and older
Conditions the study is for: Pain, Postoperative
What is being tested?: Standard Analgesia, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS)
Type of treatment: Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?: No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people: 96 participants
Where: 1 siteTaiwan
Study dates: 28 May 2024to 30 Sep 2025
Phase: Interventional
Are there results?: None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

Ages 15 years and older
All sexes
No healthy volunteers
Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

People who are about to undergo thoracic surgery

Who cannot join

Patients with epilepsy,
Pacemaker installed
Severe infections status

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Taiwan1 site

Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital
Taipei, Hualien, 97002

Other trials in Taiwan

About this study

Official title: Exploring the Impact of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation Therapy on Postoperative Pain, Quality of Life, and Blood Inflammatory Markers in Lung Cancer Patients After Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

Thoracic surgery is known to be one of the most painful types of surgery. If acute postoperative pain is not properly managed, there is a high risk that it may develop into clinically significant chronic pain within six months after surgery, which can seriously affect quality of life. According to research on Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), using multimodal pain management strategies can significantly reduce postoperative pain and decrease reliance on pain medications. This study aims to investigate whether combining transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation therapy with conventional pain management can further enhance pain relief and improve recovery outcomes.

Read the detailed description

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of three postoperative analgesic strategies in patients undergoing lesion resection via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Under standard postoperative care protocols, patients will be randomized into three groups: (1) conventional pharmacologic analgesia alone, (2) conventional analgesia combined with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and (3) conventional analgesia combined with both transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS). The primary outcomes include the assessment of acute postoperative pain intensity, blood inflammatory biomarkers, health-related quality of life, and the incidence of postoperative complications. This investigation seeks to determine whether adjunctive use of neuromodulatory techniques such as TENS and TEAS can enhance analgesic efficacy and improve postoperative recovery profiles.

Conditions: Pain, Postoperative
Being tested: Standard Analgesia, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS)
Keywords: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS), Enhanced Recovery After Surgery(ERAS), pain, postoperative, transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, acute pain, blood inflammatory biomarkers, quality of life, Anxiety and Depression
Medical subject headings: Pain, Postoperative, Acute Pain, Anxiety Disorders, Depression

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Standard AnalgesiaDrug
Postoperative analgesic medications administered according to standard clinical practice and hospital guidelines
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)Device
Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation therapy applied to specific areas to reduce postoperative pain
Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS)Device
Electrical stimulation applied to specific acupuncture points through the skin to enhance analgesic efficacy and modulate autonomic function.

Study groups in NCT07287657
Study group	Role	What they receive
Control Group	Active comparator	Participants receive standard postoperative analgesia according to institutional protocol. Receives: Drug: Standard Analgesia
TENS Group	Experimental	Participants receive standard postoperative analgesia combined with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) Receives: Drug: Standard Analgesia; Device: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
TENS + TEAS Group	Experimental	Participants receive standard postoperative analgesia combined with both transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS). Receives: Drug: Standard Analgesia; Device: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS); Device: Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

Postoperative Pain Intensity Assessed Using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Pain intensity will be assessed using a 10-point Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "worst imaginable pain."
Measured: Within 48 hours after surgery

Secondary outcomes (2)

Blood Inflammatory Markers
Blood inflammatory markers, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), will be calculated using complete blood count (CBC) parameters. NLR increases are commonly interpreted as indicators of elevated systemic inflammation, whereas decreases in LMR may reflect enhanced inflammatory activity or physiological stress following surgery. These ratios will be assessed at multiple perioperative time points to evaluate changes in inflammatory response. The relationship between postoperative pain levels, clinical recovery, and changes in NLR and LMR will be analyzed to determine whether inflammatory activation is associated with greater postoperative pain or adverse outcomes. Units of measure are expressed as ratios (NLR, LMR).
Measured: Within 48 hours after surgery
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) will be used to evaluate participants' psychological status during the perioperative period. The scale consists of 14 items, with 7 items assessing anxiety (HADS-A) and 7 items assessing depression (HADS-D). Each item is scored from 0 to 3, yielding subscale scores ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate greater levels of anxiety or depression. Changes in HADS-A and HADS-D scores will be analyzed to determine postoperative psychological responses and the potential impact of different analgesic interventions.
Measured: At baseline (preoperative), and after surgery 6 and 48 hours later

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

28 May 202430 Sep 2025

First posted17 Dec 2025
Study start28 May 2024
Primary completion30 Sep 2025
Study completion30 Sep 2025

Resources

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
Other trials for Pain, PostoperativeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase N/A
Primary purpose: Supportive care
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: None (open label)
Enrolment: 96 participants (actual)

IDs, dates and publications

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT07287657
Sponsor's protocol ID: Lin,Chun-Ya
Status last verified: Apr 2025
First submitted: 28 Apr 2025
Last updated: 21 Oct 2026
Results posted: No
Data monitoring committee: No
FDA-regulated drug: No
FDA-regulated device: No
Individual data sharing: Undecided: Because it is still underway, I will share it after the research is completed.

Publications

Edwards DA, Hedrick TL, Jayaram J, Argoff C, Gulur P, Holubar SD, Gan TJ, Mythen MG, Miller TE, Shaw AD, Thacker JKM, McEvoy MD; POQI-4 Working Group. American Society for Enhanced Recovery and Perioperative Quality Initiative Joint Consensus Statement on Perioperative Management of Patients on Preoperative Opioid Therapy. Anesth Analg. 2019 Aug;129(2):553-566. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004018.
PubMed 30768461

Want to know more?

The sponsor has not listed a contact. The official record may have more details.

Talk to your doctor first and take this page with you. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

Questions to ask the study team

What is the study trying to find out?
What would I need to do, and how often would I visit?
Could I receive a placebo instead of the treatment?
What are the possible risks and benefits for me?
Will it cost me anything? Are travel or time paid for?
Can I keep seeing my own doctor during the study?
What happens when the study ends?

See locations

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Study at a glance

From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.

Official title: Exploring the Impact of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation Therapy on Postoperative Pain, Quality of Life, and Blood Inflammatory Markers in Lung Cancer Patients After Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT07287657
Acronym / sponsor ID: Lin,Chun-Ya
Conditions: Pain, Postoperative
Keywords: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS), Enhanced Recovery After Surgery(ERAS), pain, postoperative, transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, acute pain, blood inflammatory biomarkers, quality of life
Study type: Interventional
Recruitment status: Completed
Enrolment: 96 participants (actual)
Lead sponsor: Buddhist Tzu Chi General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
Study start: 28 May 2024 (actual)
Primary completion: 30 Sep 2025 (actual)
Study completion: 30 Sep 2025 (actual)
First posted: 17 Dec 2025 (actual)
Results: Not posted in the source record

Clinical summary

The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.

Detailed description

Study design

Primary purpose: Supportive care
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: None (open label)
Number of arms: 3

Arm	Type	Receives
Control Group	Active comparator	Drug: Standard AnalgesiaParticipants receive standard postoperative analgesia according to institutional protocol.
TENS Group	Experimental	Drug: Standard Analgesia, Device: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)Participants receive standard postoperative analgesia combined with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
TENS + TEAS Group	Experimental	Drug: Standard Analgesia, Device: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), Device: Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS)Participants receive standard postoperative analgesia combined with both transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS).

Who may qualify

Ages: 15 years and older
Sex: All
Healthy volunteers: Not accepted
Age groups: Child, Adult, Older adult

Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)

People who are about to undergo thoracic surgery

Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)

Patients with epilepsy,
Pacemaker installed
Severe infections status

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Interventions

Intervention	Type	Arms
Standard AnalgesiaPostoperative analgesic medications administered according to standard clinical practice and hospital guidelines	Drug	Control Group, TENS + TEAS Group, TENS Group
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation therapy applied to specific areas to reduce postoperative pain	Device	TENS + TEAS Group, TENS Group
Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS)Electrical stimulation applied to specific acupuncture points through the skin to enhance analgesic efficacy and modulate autonomic function.	Device	TENS + TEAS Group

Primary outcome

Postoperative Pain Intensity Assessed Using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time frame: Within 48 hours after surgery
Pain intensity will be assessed using a 10-point Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "worst imaginable pain."

2 secondary outcomes

Blood Inflammatory Markers
Time frame: Within 48 hours after surgery
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
Time frame: At baseline (preoperative), and after surgery 6 and 48 hours later

Results and safety

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

Research links

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Oct 2026.
Background: PubMed 30768461Edwards DA, Hedrick TL, Jayaram J, Argoff C, Gulur P, Holubar SD, Gan TJ, Mythen MG, Miller TE, Shaw AD, Thacker JKM, McEvoy MD; POQI-4 Working Group. American Society for Enhanced Recovery and Perioperative Quality Initiative Joint Consensus Statement on Perioperative Management of Patients on Preoperative Opioid Therapy. Anesth Analg. 2019 Aug;129(2):553-566. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000004018.
Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. Because it is still underway, I will share it after the research is completed.

Related trials for Pain, Postoperative

RecruitingPhase 4
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Referral and contact

AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.

The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.

1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Taiwan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Postoperative Pain Intensity Assessed Using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) (time frame: Within 48 hours after surgery). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07287657, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Oct 2026.