ACUPUNCTURE ANESTHESIA IN ORO MAXILLO FACIAL SURGERY

tiang Nengxun, Lin Xiaojun, Yang Fenglian, Yang Yuanchao, Meng fialin

{Stomatological Hospital, Sichuan Medical College, Chengdu)

Acupuncture anesthesia, as a currently developed branch, is based on the exploration of traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacology. It has been widely applied in our hospital for more than 10 years. More than thirty kinds of operations, including the resection of the upper, lower Jaws, cheek and tongue tumors with or without combined neck dissection, 1929 cases have been successfully performed. These patients, who were 14-69 at age with both sex and different occupations, were operated on under acupuncture anesthesia, and the general conditions of most of the patients were good.

The effect of anesthesia was evaluated according to the three grade agreement standards-

grade I:

763 cases with acupuncture accompanied by a small dose of analgesic, in which the patients felt little or occasionally slight pain and kept quiet without any discomfort in the operations.

grade II:

674 cases with acupuncture accompanied by some analgesic and local anesthetic of low concentration (lower that the normal), in which the patients felt no pain and discomfort in the operations,

grade III

For the rest 492 cases, the operation could hardly be carried on by acupuncture solely. The dosage of supplemental analgesic and the dosage of local anesthetic were all over the limit of grade II, or the anesthetic had to be changed.

The effectiveness of acupuncture anesthesia was 74.5%.

The selection of points and the techniques of acupuncture, the supplementary medication and the clinical observation have been researched by us for more than ten years. We decided to choose the points on the distal extremities along the main meridians or collaterals, the result was more applicable and effective. For example, in the operation of the maxillary region, we used to choose the points Gongsun, Taichong, Fenglong, Hegu, but Hegu, Neiguan via Waiguan were usually to be chosen for the operation in the maxibular region. It is evident that the acupuncture technique of uninterrupted electro-needle stimulation is more simple, less harmful and more satisfactory by comparison to the other techniques. The drug named Innalf (1/10 dose per 10 kg body weight) seems the most suitable adjuvant medicine when it is given intravenously, 5-10 minutes prior to the operation.

According to our clinical practice and long-term observation, acupuncture anesthesia is effective in the oro-maxillo-facial surgery when it is used in a good selection.