Postoperative electrical muscle stimulation (PoEMS)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Postoperative electrical muscle stimulation (PoEMS) to attenuate muscle atrophy
IRAS ID
274048
Contact name
Edward Hardy
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 31 days
Research summary
Following major abdominal surgery patients loose a significant amount of muscle mass and function. Some of this is due to the stress response of the body which uses protein released from muscles to aid in healing and inflammation. However, some of the muscle loss following surgery is due to inactivity. Multiple studies have shown that activity levels following major abdominal surgery are minimal, even following the introduction of ‘enhanced recovery’ protocols.
Whilst it is not known exactly what proportion of postoperative muscle loss is due to physical inactivity, it is clear that this muscle loss has significant effects. Several studies have shown that those with the greatest degree of postoperative muscle loss are at higher risk of complications and worse overall survival. Loss of muscle mass and function prolongs the time take to return to normal activity levels, and in some patients the muscle mass is never regained. There is also growing evidence that episodes of acute muscle loss (eg following surgery) may be the main drivers in age related muscle loss and the health risks, frailty and loss of independence that accompany this.
Several studies have shown that following major abdominal surgery patients are unable to increase their activity levels due to fatigue, being too unwell or being connected to too many devices. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) transmits electrical impulses to the muscles through adhesive pads placed on the skin, causing them to contract without the patient needing to be ambulatory. This study therefore aims to investigate whether NMES can be used as an adjunct to normal physical activity to reduce muscle loss following major abdominal surgery.REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/EM/0069
Date of REC Opinion
18 Aug 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion