This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) in mitigating oxidative stress caused by one-lung ventilation, as well as its impact on pulmonary function and postoperative recovery quality among lung cancer patients. A total of 80 patients (n = 80) were randomly allocated to either the sham group or the TEAS group. In the TEAS group, stimulation was applied to bilateral Feishu (BL13), Zusanli (ST36), and Hegu (LI4) points starting 30 minutes prior to anesthesia induction and lasting throughout the surgical procedure. The sham group received placement at identical acupoints but without any electrical current. Lung function parameters, including PaO2/FiO2, intrapulmonary shunt ratio (Qs/Qt), alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (A-aDO2), and respiratory index (RI), were assessed at baseline before one-lung ventilation (T0), 30 min into one-lung ventilation (T1), 1 h into one-lung ventilation (T2), and 10 min after returning to two-lung ventilation (T3). Oxidative stress markers, specifically malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, were measured at the same time points (T0, T1, T2, T3). Additional endpoints encompassed the time to thoracic drainage tube removal, intensive care unit (ICU) stay duration, postoperative hospital length of stay, rates of pulmonary complications after surgery, and Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scores on postoperative days 1 and 2.
Compared to the sham group, TEAS led to a notable rise in PaO2/FiO2 values at T1 and T2, accompanied by significant reductions in Qs/Qt, A-aDO2, and RI from T1 through T3 (P < 0.05). Additionally, MDA concentrations were markedly lowered while SOD activity was enhanced at T2 and T3 (P < 0.05). TEAS further reduced the duration of postoperative ICU and overall hospital stays, with substantially elevated QoR-15 scores on days 1 and 2 after surgery (P < 0.05). TEAS appears to attenuate oxidative damage to the lungs associated with one-lung ventilation, thereby preserving respiratory function and promoting faster postoperative recovery in lung cancer patients.
