Am J Chin Med. 1979 Spring; 7(1): 77-90.

Acupuncture anesthesia for open heart surgery: a report of 800 cases.

Hollinger I, Richter JA, Pongratz W, Baum M.

This article reports the utilization of acupuncture in combination with chemical anesthesia and neuromuscular relaxant for patients with cardiac surgery, including valvular disease and by-pass. In 800 patients studied using this type of combination of anesthetic techniques, it was found that this procedure can be successful for cardiac surgery and that it allows light planes of anesthesia with less interference to circulatory regulation. There is a certain advantage of using acupuncture anesthesia when compared with chemical anesthesia, as the pharmacological agents are not used and hence post no metabolic load for the patients. From the 800 patients studied, it seems justifiable to recommend this anesthetic procedure for cardiac surgery.