Anaesthesist. 1979 May; 28(5): 227-36.

[Combined-electrostimulation-hypalgesia in surgery of the lumbar vertebral column. A tentative evaluation of this method (author's transl)]

Baum J, Schilling A.

A new concept of anaesthesia in patients undergoing operations of the lumbar vertebral column is presented. Electrostimulation of four auricular acupuncture points is combined with controlled ventilation of nitrous-oxide oxygen mixture. This combination is comparable to similar anaesthesia procedures of other operative fields. In 30 patients the anaesthesia was performed as a "combined electrostimulationhypalgesia". In a control study of 30 similar patients a mixture of nitrous-oxide and oxygen only was used. For 120 min systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as heart rate of both groups are measured and compared. The postoperative state as well as individual data from the patients are included in the investigation. The analgesia established by "combined electrostimulationhypalgesia" seems to be based essentially on the effect of nitrous-oxide as well as premedication, induction of anaesthesia, relaxation and kind of ventilation. Electrostimulation of auricular acupuncture points seems to induce stabilisation of the circulatory system. On account of our findings the relevance of electrostimulation in this method of anaesthesia must be judged very critically.