ObjectiveTo investigate the application effect of sitz bath with Kushen Qingre Xiaozhong Zhitong Decoction combined with thumb-tack needle therapy in patients with mixed hemorrhoid after surgery. MethodsA total of 96 patients with mixed hemorrhoid undergoing surgical treatment were randomly divided into 3 groups, with 32 cases in each group. After surgery, sitz bath therapy with Kushen Qingre Xiaozhong Zhitong Decoction, thumb-tack needle therapy, and sitz bath with Kushen Qingre Xiaozhong Zhitong Decoction combined with thumb-tack needle therapy were given to the control group 1, the control group 2, and the observation group, respectively. The postoperative rehabilitation indicators, wound healing rate, operative area edema score, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score for pain, pre- and post-treatment inflammatory indices (tumor necrosis factor α ［TNF-α］, interleukin ［IL］-6, IL-8), and wound growth indicators (fibroblast growth factor 1 ［FGF-1］, vascular endothelial growth factor ［VEGF］, VEGF receptor 2 ［VEGFR2］), as well as the occurrence of postoperative complications were compared between patients of the three groups. ResultsThe observation group exhibited shorter disappeared time to operative area edema, pain, and secretion, as well as shorter length of hospital stay and wound healing time, whereas a higher wound healing rate 3 and 7 days after surgery as compared with the control group 1 and the control group 2 (P＜0.05). The operative area edema score, VAS score for pain, and serum IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α levels of the three groups all depicted a decreasing trend with time prolonging, and the observation group yielded lower scores of edema in operative area and VAS for pain 3 and 7 days after operation as compared with the control groups 1 and 2; furthermore, levels of serum IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in the control group 2, the control group 1, and the observation group were decreased successively 3 and 7 days after surgery (P＜0.05). After 7 days of operation, the levels of FGF-1, VEGF, and VEGFR2 of wound granulation tissues in the three groups were elevated as compared with 1 day after operation, and the above indices in the observation group were higher than those in the control group 1 and the control group 2 (P＜0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the total incidence rate of complications after surgery between the three groups (P＞0.05). ConclusionSitz bath with Kushen Qingre Xiaozhong Zhitong Decoction combined with thumb-tack needle can effectively alleviate postoperative pain and operative area edema of patients with mixed hemorrhoid, relieve inflammatory responses and increase contents of wound growth factors, so as to promote wound healing, and accelerate postoperative recovery process, exerting a superior effect to single therapy.

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