Post-operative electrical muscle stimulation attenuates loss of muscle mass and function following major abdominal surgery in older adults: a split body randomised control trial

INTRODUCTION: Significant losses of muscle mass and function occur after major abdominal surgery. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been shown to reduce muscle atrophy in some patient groups, but evidence in post-operative patients is limited. This study assesses the efficacy of NMES for attenuating muscle atrophy and functional declines following major abdominal surgery in older adults. METHODS: Fifteen patients undergoing open colorectal resection completed a split body randomised control trial. Patients’ lower limbs were randomised to control (CON) or NMES (STIM). The STIM limb underwent 15 minutes of quadriceps NMES twice daily on post-operative days (PODs) 1–4. Ultrasound measurements of Vastus Lateralis cross-sectional area (CSA) and muscle thickness (MT) were made preoperatively and on POD 5, as was dynamometry to determine knee extensor strength (KES). Change in CSA was the primary outcome. All outcomes were statistically analysed using linear mixed models. RESULTS: NMES significantly reduced the loss of CSA (−2.52 versus −9.16%, P < 0.001), MT (−2.76 versus −8.145, P = 0.001) and KES (−10.35 versus −19.69%, P = 0.03) compared to CON. No adverse events occurred, and patients reported that NMES caused minimal or no discomfort and felt that ~90-minutes of NMES daily would be tolerable. DISCUSSION: NMES reduces losses of muscle mass and function following major abdominal surgery, and as such, may be the promising tool for post-operative recovery. This is important in preventing long-term post-operative dependency, especially in the increasingly frail older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. Further studies should establish the efficacy of bilateral NMES for improving patient-centred outcomes.