Application of mindfulness-based stress reduction combined with traditional Chinese medicine acupoint application in rapid rehabilitation nursing strategy after radical gastrectomy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction combined with traditional Chinese medicine acupoint application in rapid rehabilitation nursing strategy after radical gastrectomy. METHODS: Eighty-eight gastric cancer patients who underwent radical gastrectomy were enrolled from Yangzhou Hongquan Hospital between January 2022 and December 2023. The patients were assigned into two groups using a random number table, with 44 cases in each group. The control group received routine nursing after surgery, while the observation group received mindfulness-based stress reduction combined with traditional Chinese medicine acupoint application after surgery. The postoperative recovery time, gastrointestinal hormone levels, comfort, pain, anxiety, and quality of life were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The time of postoperative gastric tube removal, bowel sound recovery, first exhaust, and first defecation in the observation group were superior to those in the control group (all P < 0. 05). At 7 days postoperatively, the levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide and gastrin in both groups were significantly higher than those at 2 hours postoperatively (all P <0. 05), and the observation group was higher than the control group (both P < 0. 05). At 7 days postoperatively, the comfort score and quality of life score of the observation group were higher than those of the control group, and the pain score and anxiety score were lower than those of the control group (all P < 0. 05). The above scores of both groups were better than those at 2 hours postoperatively (all P < 0. 05). Conclusion Mindfulnessbased stress reduction combined with traditional Chinese medicine acupoint application can effectively shorten the rehabilitation time of patients after radical gastrectomy, regulate the gastrointestinal hormone levels, relieve the anxiety and pain, enhance the comfort, and improve the quality of life.