Effect of electroacupuncture on postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction in patients with perioperative oesophageal cancer: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction (PGD) is a common complication in patients with oesophageal cancer (OC). This complication is also a crucial factor affecting the prognosis of patients and increasing their medical burden. Gastrointestinal decompression and gastrointestinal motility-promoting oral drugs can partially relieve the symptoms, but some limitations of these treatment methods remain. Alternative therapies offer a new option for postoperative patients. This experiment will evaluate the safety and efficacy of electroacupuncture for PGD in patients with OC. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: From January 2024 to December 2025, 156 patients with perioperative EC will be recruited from three Grade-A tertiary hospitals in China. The participants will be randomly assigned to one of the three groups: electroacupuncture plus standard treatment group, sham electroacupuncture plus standard treatment group and standard treatment group at a 1:1:1 ratio (with the treatment conducted four sessions). The follow-up period is 30 days. The primary outcome indicator is the time of first defecation. The secondary outcome indicators are the time of first exhaust, quality of life after surgery, length of hospital stay after surgery, tolerance time for semiliquid and solid foods, time of first ambulation, I-FEED scores, demand for postoperative analgesics and defecation drugs, European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions-5 Levels scores, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores and changes in laboratory examination indicators. All adverse reactions will be recorded. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the ethics committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (No CHEC-2024-209). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants before the formal start of the clinical trial. The results of the clinical trial will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ITMCTR2024000118.