An interventional study of Acupressure and Sham Acupressure in Postoperative Pain and Inguinal Hernia, sponsored by Medipol University. Recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-26.
Sponsored by Medipol University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the effect of acupressure on postoperative pain following laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair.
A total of 90 participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: standard postoperative care alone (control group), true acupressure plus standard care, or sham acupressure plus standard care. Acupressure will be applied at postoperative hours 1, 4, and 8 using the bilateral P6 (Neiguan), LI4 (Hegu), ST36 (Zusanli), and SP6 (Sanyinjiao) acupoints. The sham group will receive pressure at non-acupuncture points.
The primary outcome is postoperative pain intensity measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes include analgesic consumption, postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to mobilization, patient satisfaction, and postoperative complications.
Postoperative pain after laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair remains an important clinical problem despite advances in minimally invasive surgery. Acupressure is a non-invasive complementary therapy that may reduce postoperative pain and improve recovery.
This prospective, randomized, sham-controlled, three-arm clinical trial will enroll 90 adult patients undergoing elective laparoscopic TEP inguinal hernia repair.
Participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1:1 ratio into:
Each intervention will be administered at postoperative hours 1, 4, and 8. Pressure will be applied manually for approximately 3 minutes at each point bilaterally by trained personnel.
Pain intensity will be evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at predetermined postoperative time points. Secondary outcomes include total analgesic consumption, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to mobilization, patient satisfaction, and postoperative complications.
The study is designed to determine whether true acupressure provides additional benefit beyond standard care and whether its effects differ from sham acupressure, thereby distinguishing specific therapeutic effects from placebo responses.
5,640 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain, Postoperative; 1,230 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 90 is above the median of 75 across 4,821 interventional studies indexed under Pain, Postoperative.
Browse Pain, Postoperative studies →Medipol University is the lead sponsor of 326 studies on the registry; 88 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Bilateral inguinal hernia
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The anaesthetists’ scale of health before surgery: I is healthy, II has a mild illness that is under control, III a severe one, IV a severe illness that is a constant threat to life. V and VI are used for the critically ill and for organ donors.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
ASA physical status
The anaesthetists’ scale of health before surgery: I is healthy, II has a mild illness that is under control, III a severe one, IV a severe illness that is a constant threat to life. V and VI are used for the critically ill and for organ donors.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants receive standard postoperative care without acupressure.
Participants receive standard postoperative care plus true acupressure at bilateral P6, LI4, ST36, and SP6 points for 3 minutes per point at postoperative 1, 4, and 8 hours.
Procedure: Acupressure
Participants receive standard postoperative care plus sham acupressure at non-acupoint locations with the same duration and schedule as the acupressure group.
Procedure: Sham Acupressure
Bilateral acupressure is applied at P6, LI4, ST36, and SP6 for 3 minutes per point at postoperative 1, 4, and 8 hours.
Manual pressure is applied to non-acupuncture points using the same duration and schedule as the active acupressure intervention.
Postoperative Pain Intensity Assessed by Visual Analog Scale
Postoperative pain intensity will be assessed using a Visual Analog Scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. VAS scores will be recorded at postoperative hours 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 and compared among the study groups.
Time frame: At postoperative hours 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24
Rescue Analgesic Requirement
The requirement for rescue analgesic medication and the number of analgesic administrations will be recorded from the patient medication chart and compared among the study groups.
Time frame: During the first 24 postoperative hours
Incidence of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting
The presence of postoperative nausea and the number of vomiting episodes will be recorded and compared among the study groups.
Time frame: During the first 24 postoperative hours
Early Postoperative Complications
The occurrence and type of early postoperative complications will be recorded and compared among the study groups.
Time frame: During the first 24 postoperative hours
Rescue Antiemetic Requirement
The requirement for rescue antiemetic medication and the number of antiemetic administrations will be recorded from the patient medication chart and compared among the study groups.
Time frame: During the first 24 postoperative hours
Plan to share: No — De-identified individual participant data will not be made publicly available due to participant confidentiality and institutional data protection requirements. Aggregate study results will be reported in scientific publications.
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