Auriculo-Nerve Stimulation on Post-Operative Opioid Requirement

The NSS-2 BRIDGE® device (NSS stands for Neuro-Stimulation System) is a disposable device that stimulates the branches of cranial nerves and of the superficial cervical plexus innervating the ear. Because the stimulation of the nerves of the ear by the NSS-2 BRIDGE® device (NBD®) has been shown to modulate pain pathways in rodents, decrease abdominal pain in adolescents with inflammatory bile syndrome and due to the results of our preliminary pilot study, the investigators hypothesized that this technique may also be effective in reducing the requirement for postoperative opioids and provide a non-pharmacological alternative to perioperative opioid use.

To establish the role that the stimulation of the nerves of the ear may have in reducing postoperative opioid requirement, the investigators are proposing to conduct a randomized, placebo controlled study in patients undergoing open abdominal or pelvic surgery requiring at least 5 days of hospitalization. Subjects who have signed an informed consent will be randomized in 2 groups (active NBD® group or inactive NBD® group).

Furthermore, since preoperative and postoperative mood disorders have been shown to increase postoperative pain levels and opioid requirement by up to 50%, the investigators further hypothesize that the stimulation of the ear nerves by the NSS-2 BRIDGE® effects may be in part mediated by a reduction of the level of anxiety, depression and catastrophizing as assessed using validated questionnaires.

It is established that the perioperative prescription of opioids, including doses prescribed after discharge from the hospitals, is an important contributor to the current opioid epidemic. Although many factors have been implicated including history of addiction, mood disorders and the type of surgery, the quantity and duration of opioid treatment play an important role in a patient's development of opioid use disorder (OUD). Despite recommendations by the majority of surgery and anesthesiology professionals to limit the perioperative use of opioids, and to favor the use of non-opioid analgesics, OUD remains a serious concern. Consequently, developing alternative techniques to minimize the perioperative use of opioids is critical in the fight against the current opioid epidemic.

Auriculotherapy, a form of acupuncture is an ancient technique used to treat many conditions, including pain. Its mechanism of action is believed to be primarily via the stimulation of the branches of the vagal, trigeminal, glossopharyngeal, hypogastric, facial and superficial cervical plexus nerves innervating which secondarily modulate the pain pathway and the limbic system at the level of the brainstem, spin and central nervous system. However, the use of auriculotherapy has been limited in part by the requirement for long and specific training and the lack of well-designed clinical trials demonstrating its effectiveness.

This study design is based on the high frequency of OUD following surgery for cancer and the positive results from our exploratory Institutional Review Board (IRB)- approved, randomized and placebo-controlled pilot study that assessed the effects of the NSS-2 BRIDGE® device on perioperative pain and opioid requirement in different surgical oncology models. This was a study that included subjects undergoing both open and laparoscopic procedures of different types of surgeries for abdominal cancer.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Over 18 years of age
2. Scheduled for elective open primary abdominal and pelvic colorectal cancer resection surgical procedures at UPMC Shadyside Hospital, UPMC Magee-Women's Hospital, or UPMC Passavant Hospital and following the standard ERAS protocol. OR scheduled for a living-donor liver transplant surgery at UPMC Montefiore Hospital under the ERAS protocol.
3. Expected hospital stay of approximately 5 days

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients who are considered by the medical or surgical team to not be able to give consent
2. Clinical evidence of anxiety, depression, including suicidal ideation. The diagnostic will be based on medical history, the current treatment, and the clinical examination. The PI or Co-I will be the one making the determination to enroll the subject after the subject undergoes psychosocial testing included in the protocol and that corresponding scores have been established. These tests will only be conducted after the patient has signed an informed consent form.
3. Chronic pain condition that at the discretion of the PI, should exclude the subject from participating -or- chronic opioid use defined as daily use of 60 mg of oral opioid equivalent. The diagnostic will be based on the medical history, the current treatment, and the clinical examination. The PI or Co-I will be the one making the determination to enroll the subject.
4. True allergy to all opioid medications. The diagnostic will be based on the medical history, and the determination of the symptoms associated with the recorded allergy. The PI or Co-I will be the one making the determination to enroll the subject.
5. History of or current alcohol abuse (defined as daily use of more than 1 liter of wine and/or 3 or more shots of hard liquor) or drug abuse (defined as daily use of illicit drugs) for at least 3 months. The PI or Co-I will be the one making the determination to enroll the subject.
6. Surgical procedure performed laparoscopically
7. Non elective surgery
8. Pregnancy
9. Contraindication for use of NBD® (including patients with cardiac pacemaker, hemophilia, and psoriasis vulgaris diagnosis and/or ear eczema)
10. Patients intubated with sedation, and/or receiving fentanyl infusion for sedation post-surgery.
11. Rapid recovery surgeries
12. Subjects with a diagnosed seizure disorder
13. Use of dexmedetomidine in the ICU