Time-Selective Acupoint Application Based on the Midday–Midnight Circadian Rhythm: Efficacy in Preventing Postoperative Urinary Retention After Radical Hysterectomy for Cervical Cancer

Abstract

Objective

To explore the effect of timing-selective acupoint application based on the 12 h meridian system in preventing urinary retention after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer.

Methods

A total of 60 patients scheduled for radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer surgery in a tertiary hospital in Zhejiang Province from August 2022 to August 2024 were selected and randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group. Both groups received routine postoperative nursing care. The experimental group additionally applied acupoint therapy at the time of Shen and You hours (15:00–19:00), while the control group received acupoint therapy outside these specific time periods. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. The measured outcomes included the incidence of urinary retention, time to first voiding, bladder urination status, bladder function score, urination discomfort visual analog scale (VAS) score, anxiety and depression scores, and adverse reactions.

Results

All 60 patients completed the follow-up. The incidence of urinary retention in the experimental group (10.00%) was lower than that in the control group (33.33%), and the time to first voiding [7.00 (6.00, 7.50) h] was earlier than that in the control group [8.50 (7.25, 9.75) h] (P = 0.009). The bladder function score and the rate of good urination in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group, and the VAS score for urinary discomfort was lower in the experimental group than in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Time-selective acupoint application based on the 12 h meridian system can reduce the risk of urinary retention after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer, improve bladder function, alleviate discomfort, and facilitate postoperative recovery.

Keywords

medicine Chinese traditional acupuncture uterine cervical neoplasms urinary retention

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