The majority of minimally invasive lung surgeries at Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine are now conducted using acupuncture anesthesia.
This can help patients suffer less trauma, avoid potential complications of anesthesia, and enjoy a quicker recovery.
Patients with BMI lower than 28 and with a surgery duration of less than four hours can undergo the procedure after an evaluation.
Some 70 percent of the surgeries are conducted through acupuncture anesthesia, said doctors on Sunday, the fall of World Lung Cancer Day.
Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE
An acupuncturist at Yueyang hospital inserts needles into the arm of a patient before lung cancer surgery.
Uniqueness of acupuncture anesthesia
Lung cancer is the most prevalent and deadly cancer in the world. With the promotion of CT scanning and the public’s rising awareness, more people are being detected with lung nodules in early stages, and undergo surgery.
“The removal of a cancerous nodule is a minimally-invasive surgery, however, patients need to undergo tracheal intubation for anesthesia,” said Dr Chen Tongyu, director of Yueyang’s cardiothoracic surgery department.
“Such practice is a typical example of ‘small surgery with big injury’. So Yueyang introduced acupuncture and small amount of anesthetics after years of clinical research to achieve better effects than purely one method.”
Before surgery, an acupuncturist inserts needles into special acupoints, then electric wires from an electro-acupuncture instrument are connected with the needles to control the acupuncture strength and frequency for different procedures of surgery.
Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE
The acupuncturist connects wires from an electro-acupuncture instrument.
Without intubation, the dosage of anesthesia can drop by 70 to 80 percent if using acupuncture anesthesia. Without using muscle relaxants, an important assistant medication for general anesthesia, the process of anesthesia and surgery is greatly shortened and patients can enjoy a quicker resuscitation.
“Yueyang has been promoting the technology by establishing a national acupuncture anesthesia training center,” said Dr Zhou Jia, president of Yueyang Hospital and a leading expert in the field.
“We are planning to further introduce the technology to foreign countries through international exchange and cooperation.
“We also welcome expatriate patients to come to Yueyang for the technology, which has its unique benefits compared with routine surgery, especially for the elderly and patients who can’t endure general anesthesia or can suffer serious anesthesia-related complications.
“It is an attraction for international medical tourism in our hospital.”
Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE
Dr Chen Tongyu from Yueyang Hospital in an operation.
Education on lung cancer
Education on lung cancer prevention and control is highlighted for World Lung Cancer Day. Shanghai Chest Hospital has released the nation’s first patient version of lung cancer education to give detailed guidance and explanations of lung cancer through simple and clear language.
This will allow patients to have a proper and scientific understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, different types of therapies, and how to better cooperate with doctors.
Apart from teaching patients, the hospital also issued a book on lung cancer for the public. Through pictures and easy-to-understand language, the book explains abstruse medical terms. A Q&A format is specially adopted for public’s easy understanding.
The book explains mechanisms of lung, risk factors for lung cancer, the best ways for early screening, different treatment methods, post-surgery care and rehabilitation, mental support and patient management.
“The book covers the whole process of lung cancer care, offering professional support to relieve the public’s fear and helplessness against lung cancer,” said Li Chaohong from the hospital.
The hospital will offer education lectures and book distribution in all major communities in Xuhui District in the next six months.
SHINE
An educational tour to offer lung cancer knowledge and distribute educational books opens in Shanghai Chest Hospital.
,https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2411171545/