RATIONALE: Poststernotomy pain and impaired breathing are common clinical problems in early postoperative care following heart surgery. Insufficiently treated pain increases the risk of pulmonary complications. High-dose opioids are used for pain management, but they may cause side effects such as respiratory depression. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a prospective, randomized, controlled, observer-blinded, three-armed clinical trial with 100 patients. Group 1 (n = 33) and group 2 (n = 34) received one 20 min session of standardized acupuncture treatment with two different sets of acupoints. Group 3 (n = 33) served as standard analgesia control without additional intervention. RESULTS: Primary endpoint analysis revealed a statistically significant analgesic effect for both acupuncture treatments. Group 1 showed a mean percentile pain reduction (PPR) of 18% (SD 19, p < 0.001). Group 2 yielded a mean PPR of 71% (SD 13, p < 0.001). In group 1, acupuncture resulted in a mean forced vital capacity (FVC) increase of 30 cm3 (SD 73) without statistical significance (p = 0.303). In group 2, posttreatment FVC showed a significant increase of 306 cm3 (SD 215, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture revealed specific analgesic effects after sternotomy. Objective measurement of poststernotomy pain via lung function test was possible.

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