Bioelectronic Skin Stimulation Reduces Opioid Need After C-Section

Non-invasive application of high frequency electrical stimulation around a caesarian section abdominal incision reduces the need for narcotic pain med by nearly half. This the conclusion of Ohio State University maternal-fetal investigators after their randomized, blinded clinical study of 134 c-section patients.

Those women selected for treatment underwent three 12 minute applications of pulsed, high frequency direct current transcutanously delivered to points around their incisions. The control group received similar applications from sham devices that did not deliver any electrical stimulation.

The data indicates that these electrical stimulations reduced the amount of narcotics required to maintain post-op patient comfort by 47%. The treated women were also 60% less likely to be discharged from the hospital with a prescription for an opioid.

The current opioid epidemic is driving medical teams to search for innovative ways to reduce the need for narcotic-based pain control. This technique shows promise to do just that for not only c-section patients but for other patients with painful surgical incisions.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2810949

#pain #surgery #caeserean #opioid #bioelectronic #obgyn #womenshealth