Acupuncture therapy strategy options in postoperative management after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A protocol for systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is a common surgery accompanied by some unpleasant adverse effects. Clinical trials indicated that acupuncture therapy may help reduce complications in LC. However, no systematic reviews have been conducted on the topic. Therefore, we will evaluate the current evidence and provide a rank for the efficacy of acupuncture therapy in LC by performing Bayesian network meta-analysis. METHODS: A total of 9 databases will be searched from inception to 10 December 2020. Randomized control trails met the criterion will be included. Quality evaluation of included studies will be performed using Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. STATA 14.0, Addis 1.16.8, R 3.6.3, and OpenBUGS 3.2.3 will be used to conduct pairwise meta-analysis and network meta-analysis. The evidence will be assessed by the Grades of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation. RESULTS: This review will be based on clinical evidence to choose the best choice of acupuncture treatment for LC. And the results will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSION: Through this systematic review, we will summarize the best available evidence of acupuncture therapy in LC and help to improve the clinical decision-making ability in LC domain. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: The protocol has been registered on INPLASY2020120056.