Objective To determine whether electroacupuncture(EA)intervention combined with general anesthesia(GA)strategy can reduce early post-operative morbidity and medical costs in patients undergoing heart valve replacement operation under cardiopulmonary bypass.Methods A total of 160heart valve replacement surgery patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass were randomly divided into GA and EA+GA groups(n=80in each group).Patients of the GA group were given with intravenous injection of Fentanyl

Midazolam

Vecuronium Bromide

etc.and routine tracheal intubation.EA(3-4Hz

2.0-2.2mA)was applied to bilateral Zhongfu(LU 1)

Chize(LU 5)and Ximen(PC 4)beginning about 20min before the surgery in the EA+GA group.Endotracheal intubation was not employed but only prepared as a standby for patients of the EA+GA group.The dosage of narcotic drugs

duration of surgery

duration of aortic blockage

rate of cardiac re-beating

volumes of post-operative blood transfusion

discharge volume

cases of post-operative pulmonary infection

vocal cord injury

and the time of first bedoff

first eating and duration in intensive care unit(ICU)residence

etc.were recorded.Results The successful rates of heart valve replacement surgery were similar in both GA and EA+GA groups.Compared with the GA group

the dosages of Fentanyl

Midazolam and Vecuronium of the EA+GA group were significantly lower(P<0.05

P<0.01)

the numbers of patients needing blood-transfusion

antibiotics treatment

and suffering from pulmonary infection were fewer

the time of first bed-off and duration of hospitalization and ICU residence were considerably shorter(P<0.05

P<0.01)and the total medical cost was obviously lower(P<0.05)in the EA+GA group.Conclusion EA combined with general anesthesia strategy for heart valve replacement surgery without endotracheal intubation is safe and can reduce post-operative morbidity and medical costs in patients undergoing heart valve replacement surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass.