- Acupuncture has been used quite successfully in place of chemical anesthesia for a variety of surgeries within the last twenty years. At the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology hospital it is used routinely on all cases of Cesarean section. At the Long Hua Hospital in Shanghai it's used routinely on cases of thyroidectomy. It has been shown effective in gastric surgeries and brain operations.
During the procedure the patient remains alert communicating with the surgeon. The patient does not feel pain only pulling, tugging, etc. that may be employed in surgery.
It is unlikely that Acupuncture will replace chemical anesthesia in the US However, it is a favorable possibility for those patients unable to tolerate regular anesthesia. The applications in dentistry are extremely significant.
The first US national media coverage concerning Acupuncture was in 1971 during President Nixon's visit to China. There, visiting columnist James Reston told of his emergency appendectomy performed under Acupuncture anesthesia
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