Highlights
- •Auricular nerve field electrical stimulation using NSS-2 BRIDGE® device (NBD®) was associated with 60.2% reduction in opioid consumption (mg of morphine PO equivalent; OME) at 24 hours post Laparoscopic Roux-en-Gastric Bypass Surgery
- •The device tolerability of NBD® was reported to be excellent
Abstract
Background
Evidence supports the use of complementary techniques to reduce pain and opioid use
after surgery. The NSS-2 BRIDGE device (NBD; Innovative Health Solutions, Inc., Versailles,
Indiana) modulates pain via stimulation of the nucleus of the auricular branch of
the cranial nerves at the level of the brainstem and the limbic system.
Objective
To investigate the role of auricular nerve field stimulation for pain control following
gastric bypass surgery.
Settings
U.S. academic medical center.
Methods
A total of 18 subjects were included. Subjects were divided in 2 groups: NBD group
(n = 8) and a control group (n = 10). The NBD was placed following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y
gastric bypass (LRYGB) surgery in the recovery room. The effectiveness of NBD was
assessed comparing the relative use of opioid consumption (oral morphine equivalents)
and pain (0 = no pain to 10= worst possible pain) at 24 and 48 hours after surgery.
In addition, the device tolerability (1–10) was assessed, with 8–10 considered excellent.
Data were analyzed using unpaired t tests and presented as mean ± standard deviation. Alpha was set up at .1.
Results
Compared with the control group, the use of NBD was associated with a 60.2% reduction
in oral morphine equivalents (38.15 vs 15.2 mg; P < .1) and a 28% reduction in pain (5.0 vs 3.6; P = .1) at 24 hours after surgery. The tolerability of NBD was reported to be excellent.
Conclusions
This report suggests that NBD may represent an interesting alternative to control
perioperative pain and limit opioid use following bariatric surgery. This needs to
be confirmed by a placebo-controlled, randomized study.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 11, 2021
Accepted:
August 8,
2021
Received:
April 30,
2021
Identification
Copyright
Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Society for Bariatric Surgery.
