Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold>Background</bold> : Early recovery of gastrointestinal function after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer is very important for patients. Press needle therapy may be a simple and effective treatment method, but there is a lack of relevant research in this field. <bold>Methods</bold> : This retrospective cohort study included 193 patients who underwent LRDG between January 2022 and March 2025. Patients were divided into a standard treatment group (n=44) and three press needle therapy groups: ST36 (Zusanli)- PC6 (Neiguan) group (n=47), ST36-PC6-LI4 (Hegu) group (n=53), and ST36-PC6-SP6 (Sanyinjiao) group (n=49). The primary outcome was time to first bowel sounds. Secondary outcomes included time to first flatus, first defecation, postoperative inflammatory markers, and pain scores, among others. <bold>Results</bold> : Compared with the standard treatment group, all press needle therapy groups significantly shortened the time to first bowel sounds: the ST36-PC6 group reduced it by 8.58 hours. Adding auxiliary acupoints further enhanced efficacy: the ST36-PC6-LI4 group and ST36-PC6-SP6 group reduced it by 5.04 hours and 6.02 hours respectively compared to the ST36-PC6 group. Logistic analysis showed that treatment group, tumor stage and anastomosis method were independent predictors of prolonged postoperative ileus. Press needle therapy also significantly shortened the time to first flatus and defecation, lowered serum CRP and IL-6 levels at 72 hours postoperatively, and reduced 24-hour VAS pain scores. <bold>Conclusion</bold> : Press needle therapy effectively promotes gastrointestinal function recovery after laparoscopic radical distal gastrectomy (LRDG) and reduces postoperative inflammatory response and pain intensity. Adding auxiliary acupoints (LI4 or SP6) significantly enhances the clinical efficacy of the basic ST36-PC6 regimen. <bold>Trial registration：</bold> The retrospective study protocol was approved by the Institutional Ethics Review Committee (MR-33-25-030963) on April 16, 2025. </p>