Acupuncture anesthesia a perfect combination of Western medicine and TCM
A surgeon in Shanghai was elected director of the Chinese Acupuncture Association's anesthesia branch. It's the first time that a Western medicine physician has been elected the director of a national traditional Chinese medicine association, said medical experts.
The new director, Dr Zhou Jia, president of Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, has been fully involved in the adoption, development and promotion of acupuncture anesthesia, an old theory in TCM which has been revived through local doctors' efforts through an evidence-based and more scientific approach.
Currently, acupuncture anesthesia has been widely adopted in heart and lung surgery at Yueyang Hospital, which has become the largest clinical center for acupuncture anesthesia in the nation. Doctors are trying to expand the method to more surgeries involving the neck, breast, bone joints, stomach and also for gastroscopy and colonoscopy exams, the hospital said.
Dr Zhou Jia from the Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in a heart surgery using acupuncture anesthesia.
"Previously, acupuncture anesthesia was mainly a theory in TCM books, with few clinical practices. As Western medicine practitioners, we have introduced a more practical operation into the traditional theory of acupuncture anesthesia and made it effective for clinical use," Zhou said.
According to experts, acupuncture anesthesia combines acupuncture on certain points and the use of anesthesia. It allows doctors to do surgery without conducting tracheal intubation, and uses a much smaller dose of anesthesia. The tubeless practice helps patients better endure surgery, suffer less trauma, have fewer complications related to anesthesia, and make a quicker recovery.
"We have established a national network to boost academic exchange, scientific education and innovation and development of modern acupuncture anesthesia technology, which is involved in acupuncture, anesthesia, intensive care, rehabilitation, imaging and laboratory medicine," Zhou said. "We have carried out standard training, enhanced clinical research, basic research and set up clinical guidance to regulate and boost the development of acupuncture anesthesia, which has been recognized by the World Health Organization."
Experts said the acupuncture anesthesia branch will team up with leading hospitals in different regions to conduct multi-center and large-scale clinical evidence-based research to boost its wider promotion and recognition.
