摘要Objective:To preliminarily investigate the effect of buccal acupuncture therapy on ameliorating postoperative pain and enhancing recovery quality among patients undergoing radical resection of gastrointestinal cancers.Methods:Fifty-two participants were randomized at a 1∶1 ratio to either the buccal acupuncture or the control group.The acupuncture protocol entailed targeting 5 predetermined acupoints[CA-2(Upper jiao),CA-3(Middle jiao),CA-4(Lower jiao),CA-6(back),and CA-7(waist)and two adjustable acupoints[CA-1(head)and CA-8(sacrum)]on each side of the face.The outcomes included the Numeric Rating Scale(NRS)scores for each day within 7 days postoperatively,15-ltem Quality of Recovery Scale(QoR-15)scores,analgesics consumption during and after surgery,incidences of postoperative nausea and vomiting,and perioperative levels of interleukin-6 and glucose.Adverse events related to acupuncture were recorded.Results:Of the initial 52 participants,46 completed the study and were included in the analysis.Findings indicated that the buccal acupuncture group experienced significantly reduced resting NRS scores in post-anesthesia care unit and throughout the postoperative phase(P=0.001 and P=0.003,respectively),along with enhanced QoR-15 scores on the 3rd postoperative day(P=0.008),compared to the control group.No notable differences were identified in the remaining indicators(P＞0.05).Conclusion:Buccal acupuncture therapy demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing postoperative pain and improving recovery quality for patients undergoing radical resection of gastrointestinal cancers,presenting a viable intervention without associated adverse outcomes.(Trial registration No.ChiCTR2200060441)