Accelerated Rehabilitation Surgery Nursing Combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupoint Application Therapy in Postoperative Rehabilitation of Elderly Patients with Liver Cancer

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of acupoint therapy in the comprehensive postoperative management of patients with liver cancer, aiming to reduce pain, decrease the need for opioid analgesics, and improve quality of life. The study was conducted in China at Wenzhou Central Hospital. A total of 156 patients who had undergone liver resection surgery for liver cancer were included. The patients were randomized into two groups: the experimental group (n = 79), which received standard postoperative rehabilitation combined with acupoint therapy, and the control group (n = 77), which received only standard postoperative rehabilitation. Patient assessment was conducted at three time points: before treatment initiation (T0), on the 4th day of therapy (T1), and 2 weeks after completion of the course (T2). Twelve nurses participated in the study and recorded sleep quality, appetite, need for assistance, behavioral distress signs, and frequency of PRN interventions. The results of this study confirm the effectiveness of acupoint therapy as an adjunctive method in the rehabilitation process following liver cancer surgery. The practical value lies in the potential for reducing the pharmacological burden, decreasing the frequency of opioid-related side effects, and accelerating patient recovery.