The Clinical Trials Landscape of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) in Perioperative Care: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is a promising, non-invasive, non-pharmacological adjunct for perioperative care, yet a global overview of its clinical trial landscape remains lacking. This study systematically analyzed 239 perioperative TEAS trials (2012-2025) from three major registries (ClinicalTrials.gov, Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCTR), and EU Clinical Trials Register (EU-CTR)). The number of registered trials has grown notably in recent years, with a clear upward trend observed in 2024. Research attention remains heavily concentrated on adult populations, while pediatric applications are comparatively understudied. Digestive system surgeries represent the most common clinical context, and primary outcome measures predominantly focus on symptomatic improvements related to gastrointestinal function and pain relief, with limited emphasis on mechanistic exploration. Furthermore, the majority of trials are either ongoing or yet to commence, orthopedic applications remain underexplored, and substantial heterogeneity exists across current trial designs. We identify critical research gaps and emphasize the urgent need for standardized large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs), pediatric studies, mechanistic exploration, and diversification across surgical specialties. These efforts may help establish TEAS as a potential complementary perioperative therapy alongside pharmacological interventions.