Acupuncture for Inguinal Hernia Recovery: A Faster, More Comfortable Path

Inguinal hernia comes with a painful bulge that can only be remedied by surgery. Acupuncture offers to cut short the long hospital days and weeks of immobility that come after the surgery, promoting rapid and complication-free recovery.

Background

• In a 2003 study by the Department of Surgery of the United Christian Hospital in Kowloon, Hong Kong, on 12 inguinal hernia patients subjected to acupuncture, all patients were able to sit up and resume diet post-operatively, and all but one were discharged the day after the surgery.

Significance

• With corrective inguinal hernia surgery, the analgesic and anesthetic effect of acupuncture offer safe and feasible anesthetic option to patients who do not want to rely on drugs and risk complications for pain relief.

Patient Experience

• Some patients may still experience minimal discomfort during the operation, requiring minimal dosage of anesthetic injections, the Hong Kong study showed.

Safety

• Unlike anesthetic drugs, acupuncture is an effective pain relief that inhibits gastrointestinal upset. The postoperative recovery of the Hong Kong study patients after inguinal hernia surgery was generally rapid and complication-free.

Warning

• Side effects such as swelling on the skin and erythema have resulted from using unsterile acupuncture needles.

Conclusion

• Acupuncture presented a feasible anesthetic option that effectively reduces the anesthetic requirement of inguinal hernia patients during surgery, thereby reducing the risks of associated potential complications usually caused by anesthetic drugs, the Hong Kong study concluded.