Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of transcutaneous nerve stimulation combined with thoracic paravertebral nerve block on pain and sleep quality after thoracoscopic radical resection of lung cancer. Methods From January 2020 to June 2022, 120 patients with thoracoscopic radical resection of lung cancer were randomly divided into two groups, 60 patients in each group. The control group was treated with thoracic paravertebral nerve block, and the experimental group was treated with transcutaneous nerve stimulation combined with thoracic paravertebral nerve block. NRS was used to evaluate the rest and active pain after operation in the two groups, and the occurrence of postoperative relief analgesia was recorded. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate the sleep quality on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd day after operation. Results The NRS score of resting pain at 24 h and 48 h after operation in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), while the NRS score of resting pain at 4 h, 8 h, 12 h and 72 h after operation in the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The NRS score of active pain in the two groups at 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after operation was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The NRS score of active pain in the experimental group at 72 h after operation was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The rescue analgesia rate in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the rescue analgesia rate between the two groups on the first and third day after operation (P>0.05). The PSQI scores of the experimental group on the 1st and 2nd day after operation were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups on the 3rd day after operation (P>0.05). Conclusion Compared with simple thoracic paravertebral nerve block, combined with percutaneous nerve electrical stimulation has limited improvement on active pain, but it can effectively relieve resting pain, reduce relief pain, and reduce PSQI score.

Key words: percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, thoracic paravertebral nerve block, postoperative pain, sleep quality, thoracoscopic radical resection of lung cancer