Acupoint thread-embedding therapy in treatment of postoperative complications of mixed hemorrhoids: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy on the common postoperative complications of mixed hemorrhoids between the acupoint thread‐embedding therapy combined with conventional treatment and the simple conventional treatment. METHODS: A total of 68 patients with mixed hemorrhoids and surgery scheduled were randomized into an acupoint thread‐embedding group (34 cases, 2 cases were eliminated) and a conventional treatment group (34 cases, 3 cases were eliminated). In the conventional treatment group, the patients received the routine postoperative care. In the acupoint thread‐embedding group, besides the postoperative care as the conventional treatment group, the acupoint thread‐embedding therapy was operated at Changqiang (GV1), bilateral Chengshan (BL57), Dachangshu (BL25) and Baihuanshu (BL30), once on the 2nd day after surgery. On day 1, 3 and 7 after surgery, the scores of pain visual analogue scale (VAS), perianal edema, wound exudate, state anxiety inventory (S‐AI) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were observed in the two groups, and the clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated. RESULTS: On day 3 and 7 after surgery, the scores of VAS, perianal edema, wound exudate, S‐AI, and PSQI were reduced when compared with the scores on day 1 after surgery in the two groups (P<0.05); and these indexes in the acupoint thread‐embedding group were lower than those in the conventional treatment group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the acupoint thread‐embedding group was 90.6% (29/32), higher than that (61.3%, 19/31) in the conventional treatment group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: On the base of conventional postoperative care, acupoint thread‐embedding therapy can reduce postoperative pain, perianal edema and wound exudate, alleviate anxiety and improve sleep quality in the patients with mixed hemorrhoids, which is more effective than simple conventional treatment.