BACKGROUND: It is believed that stimulation of the P6 acupoint minimizes nausea and vomiting, and has been used to prevent and treat nausea and vomiting in various situations. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether the transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the P6 acupoint prevents postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in female patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we investigated 59 ASA I or II female patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia using isoflurane or enflurane. We used a ReliefBand(R) unit (NSTTM 600, Woodside Biomedical Inc, USA) for the transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the P6 acupoint. Patients were randomly divided into two groups; in the P6 group (n = 29) the activated ReliefBand(R) was placed at the P6 acupoint; and in the placebo group (n = 30) the inactivated ReliefBand(R) was placed at the P6 acupoint. The ReliefBand(R) was applied 10 min before the end of surgery and remained in place for 24 h. We evaluated the incidence and severity of PONV, and need for rescue antiemetics during the first 6 h and 24 h after surgery. RESULTS: No differences in age, weight, previous PONV history, or duration of anesthesia were present between groups. The incidence of PONV was significantly lower (34%) in the P6 group than in the placebo group (63%) during the first 24 h after surgery. The severity of nausea and vomiting was also significantly lower in the P6 group than in the placebo group. However, the need for rescue antiemetics was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the P6 acupoint significantly reduces the incidence and severity of PONV in female patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy during the first 24 h after surgery.