Treatment of gastric paralysis after gastric schwannoma by electroacupuncture: a case report and literature review

Abstract

OBJECTIVEWe identified the potential role of electroacupuncture (EA) as an alternative therapy to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in a rare case of postoperative gastroparesis after gastric schwannoma (GS). CLINICAL PRESENTATIONA 31-year-old woman presented with impaired gastric emptying after gastrectomy for GS and was diagnosed with postoperative gastroparesis syndrome (PGS). The symptoms were slightly relieved after routine placement of the jejunal tube; however, symptoms such as dietary intolerance and impaired gastric emptying persisted. After the consultation, the patient agreed to undergo EA therapy. INTERVENTION AND RESULTSThe patient was able to tolerate oral intake after seven days of EA treatment, and the frequency and amount of food intake increased. The jejunal tube was removed at the outpatient follow-up two weeks after discharge, and the patient resumed a semi-liquid diet and was able to eat small amounts of rice. Reexamination of the upper digestive tract angiography showed that part of the contrast agent passed through the pyloric sinus, which showed improvement. CONCLUSIONEA stimulation increased tolerance to transoral feeding in patients with postoperative gastroparesis and facilitated the passage of contrast agents through the pyloric sinus. No adverse effects were observed during treatment, and the treatment was well accepted and tolerated by patients. A review article noted the benefits of acupuncture for gastrointestinal disorders but lacked high-quality evidence to support this1. Therefore, the therapeutic role of EA needs to be further elucidated to provide high-quality evidence-based medical evidence for its clinical use.