Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42455519›Full record

Trial reportAnnals of medicine2026

Effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on postoperative pain in patients undergoing thoracoscopic partial lung resection: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial.

Meng Yuan, Si-Jin Lv, Meng-Ru Wu, Yu-Chen Lu, Min-Hao Zhang, Jian-Hua He

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Annals of medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Meng YuanDepartment of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Si-Jin LvDepartment of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Meng-Ru WuSchool of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Yu-Chen LuSchool of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Min-Hao ZhangDepartment of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Jian-Hua HeDepartment of Anesthesiology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPostoperative pain after thoracic surgery remains common and challenging. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique with potential analgesic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of taVNS for postoperative pain management in patients undergoing thoracoscopic partial lung resection.

methodsAdults undergoing thoracoscopic partial lung resection were randomized to active or sham taVNS. The primary outcome was cough pain intensity at 48h post-surgery, assessed by Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Secondary outcomes included cough pain at 24h and 72h, resting pain, moderate-to-severe pain incidence, opioid consumption, quality of recovery, postoperative pulmonary complications , chest tube duration, hospital stay, postoperative nausea/vomiting, and adverse events.

resultsAmong 119 analyzed patients (active

conclusionPerioperative taVNS was associated with a modest analgesic benefit and reduced postoperative opioid requirements after thoracoscopic partial lung resection. The observed reduction in postoperative pneumothorax requires cautious interpretation, and further multicenter trials are needed to determine its clinical utility.

Indexed as

Pain ManagementPneumonectomyPostoperative PainThoracoscopyTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationVagus Nerve StimulationAdultAgedAnalgesics, OpioidCoughDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansLength of StayMaleMiddle AgedAnalgesics, OpioidPostoperative painpostoperative pulmonary complicationsthoracoscopic surgeryvagus nerve stimulation

Identifiers

PMID42455519
PMCPMC13374753

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.