Surgery
A great deal of medical research shows that mentally preparing for the procedure with relaxation and guided imagery helps to not only relieve anxiety, but to significantly reduce complications, shorten hospital stays, minimize post-operative pain, and even reduce the time it takes to do the operation. Our "Preparing for Surgery" CD includes all the suggestions that have been research proven, plus a great deal more, to help you feel more positive about your procedure and speed your recovery. You can also use this CD for any kind of invasive procedure by simply substituting the name of your procedure for the word "surgery" in the CD. Another alternative, especially if you feel that you "just don't want to even think about surgery" is to use our "Relaxing Into Healing" CD to learn to relax which will help you go through your procedure more easily without having to really focus on it.
RESEARCH
December, 2005
Numbers of Surgeries Performed
In 2000, there were almost 40 million surgeries performed in U.S. hospitals (Hall, and Owings, 2000). In 1998, there were also 32.5 million in-office surgery procedures, many of which routinely use some sedation (Hall and Hall, 1998).
Mind-Body Approaches to Coping with Surgery
Patients are often sedated to reduce their anxiety before a medical procedure. However, sedation can have side effects, like increasing the risk of low blood pressure or not getting enough oxygen. Therefore, researchers have looked for other ways to reduce patient anxiety.
Relaxation with guided imagery (with or without music), self-hypnosis, and giving patients reassuring information prior to surgery have been shown to be highly effective (Ashton, Whitworth, Seldomridge, Shapiro, Weinberg, Michler, Smith, Rose, Fisher, Oz, 2000; Faymonville, Fissette, Mambourg, Roediger, Joris, Lamy, 1995; Lang, Haminton, 1994; Lang, Joyce, Spiegel, Hamilton, Lee, 1996; Laurion, Fetzer, 2003; Ludwick-Rosenthal, Newfeld, 1993).
Guided imagery, hypnosis, self-hypnosis, and other forms of relaxation before and during surgery can reduce anxiety (Bugbee, Wellisch, Arnott, Maxwell, Kirsch, Sayre, Bassett, 2005; Huth, Broome, Good, 2004; McCaffrey, Taylor, 2005; Pellino, Gordon, Engelke, Busse, Collins, Silver, Norcross, 2005), including in a pediatric population (Calipel, Lucas-Polomeni, Wodey, Ecoffey. 2005). These mind-body techniques can shorten procedures (Butler, Symons, Henderson, Shortliffe, Spiegel, 2005; Lang, Benotsch, Fick, Lutgendoft, Berbaum, Berbaum, Logan, Spiegel, 2000; Tusek, Church, Strong, Grass, Fazio, 1997) and, significantly reduce pain and the need for pain medication post-operatively (Antall, Kresevec, 2004; Ashton, Whitworth et al, 2000; Disbrow, Bennett, Owings, 1993; Faymonville, Fissette, et al, 1995; Huth et al, 2004; Lang, Benotsch, et al, 2000; Lang, Hamilton, 1994; Lang, Joyce Spiegel, Hamilton, Lee, 1996; Manyande, Berg, Gettins, Stanford, Mazhero, Marks, Salmon, 1995; Meurissse, Hamoir, Defecheueux, Gollogly, Derry, Postal, Joris, Faymonville, 1999; Pellino et al, 2005; Rensi, Peticca, Pescatori, 2000; Syrjala, Donaldson, Davis, Kippes, Carr, 1995; Tusek, Church, et al, 1997; Weinstein, Au, 1991). Guided imagery, with or without music, has also been effective in reducing pain when only used post-operatively (Nilsson, Rawal, Enqvist, Unosson, 2003). They can also shorten the time it takes for patients’ bowels to return to normal functioning (Disbrow, et al, 1993; Tusek, et al, 1997), and shorten hospital stay (Cowan, Buffington, Cowan, Hathaway, 2001; Disbrow, et al, 1993; Meurisse, et al, 1996; Rapkin, Straubing, Holroyd, 1991; Tusek et al, 1997). There is also some evidence that these techniques can reduce blood loss (Enqvist, von Konow, Bystedt, 1995; Lucas, 1975; Meurisse, et al, 1996) and speed wound healing (Holden-Lund, 1988; Jones, 1977).
In a study of male cardiac patients, post-coronary artery bypass surgery depression and anxiety, common in heart patients, was reported by de Klerk and colleagues in their 2004 study. In another 2004 study, patients using hypnosis instead of drug sedation during angioplasty had no increase in cardiac sympathetic activity and myocardial ischemia (Baglini, Sesana, Capuano, Gnecchi-Ruscone, Ugo, Danzi, 2004).
Several sources, including Blue Shield of California and Cedars Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles), have reported that patients who used guided imagery tapes to prepare for surgery were very satisfied with them – plus, it reduced their bills (Fontana, 2000; Holden-Jones, 1988; ).In addition, guided imagery audio tapes are routinely used and recommended by many well respected physicians, including Mehmet Oz, cardiac surgeon and Director of the Complementary Care Center at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center (New York) (Oz, 2000).
References:
Antall GF, Kresevic D. The use of guided imagery to manage pain in an elderly orthopaedic population. Orthop Nurs. 2004 Sep-Oct;23(5):335-40.
Ashton C. Jr, Whitworth GC, Seldomridge JA, Shapiro PA, Weinberg AD, Michler RE, Smith CR, Rose EA, Fisher S, Oz MC. Self-hypnosis reduces anxiety following coronary artery bypass surgery. A prospective, randomized trial. J Cardiovasc Surg, 2000 Apr;41(2):335-6.
Baglini R, Sesana M, Capuano C, Gnecchi-Ruscone T, Ugo L, Danzi GB. Effect of hypnotic sedation during percutaneous transluminal coronary antioplasty on myocardial ischemia and cardiac sympathetic drive. Am J Cardiol. 2004 Apr 15;93(8):1035-8.
Bodaken, Bruce. Chairman and CEO, Blue Shield of California. Undated. Quoted on: http://www.healthjourneys.com/archives.asp?aid=769 Accessed: December, 2005.
Bugbee ME, Wellisch DK, Arnott IM, Maxwell JR, Kirsch DL, Sayre JW, Bassett LW. Breast core-needle biopsy: clinical trial of relaxation technique versus medication versus no intervention for anxiety reduction. Radiology. 2005 Jan;234(1):73-8. Epub 2004 Nov 24.
Calipel S, Lucas-Polomeni MM, Wodey E, Ecoffey C. Premedication in children: hypnosis versus midazolam. Paediatr Anaesth. 2005 Apr;15(4):275-81.
Cowan GS Jr, Buffington CK, Cowan GS 3rd, Hathaway D. Assessment of the effects of taped cognitive behavior message on postoperative complications (therapeutic suggestions under anesthesia. Obes Surg, 2001 Oct;11(5):589-93.
Crawford AH, Jones CW, Perisho JA, Herring JA. Hypnosis for monitoring intraoperative spinal cord function. Anesth Analg, 1976 Jan-Feb;55(1):42-4.
Disbrow EA, Bennett HL, Owings JT. Effect of preoperative suggestion on postoperative gastrointestinal modility. West J Med, 1993 May;158(5);488-92.
de Klerk JE, du Plessis WF, Steyn HS, Botha M. Hypnotherapeutic ego strengthening with male South African coronary artery bypass patients. Am J Clin Hypn. 2004 Oct;47(2):79-92.
Enqvist B, von Konow L, Bystedt H. Pre-and perioperative suggestion in maxillofacial surgery: effects on blood loss and recovery. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 1995 Jul;43(3):284-94.
Faymonville ME, Fissette J, Mambourg PH, Roediger L, Joris J. Lamy M. Hypnosis as adjunct therapy in conscious sedation for plastic surgery. Reg. Anesth. 1995 Mar-Apr;20(2):145-51.
Fontana GP MD. from Reuters Health press release: Acupuncture, Massage, Guided Imagery Ease Pain After Bypass Surgery. Reported by Steve Mitchell June 9. 2000.
Ginandes C, Brooks P, Sando W, Jones C, Aker J. Can Medical Hypnosis Accelerate Post-Surgical Wound Healing? Results of a Clinical Trial. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 2003 45:4, April, pp. 333-351.
Good M, Anderson GC, Ahn S, Cong X, Stanton-Hicks M. Relaxation and music reduce pain following intestinal surgery. Res Nurs Health. 2005 Jun;28(3):240-51.
Gross CR, Kreitzer MJ, Russas V, Treesak C, Frazier PA, Hertz MI. Mindfulness meditation to reduce symptoms after organ transplant: a pilot study. Adv Mind Body Med. 2004 Summer;20(2):20-9.
Hall MJ, Owings MF. 2000 National Hospital Discharge Survey. Advance date from vital and health statistics; no 329. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2002. Table 8.
Hall MJ, Hall L. Ambulatory surgery in the United States, 1996. Advance data from vital and health statistics; no. 300. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 1998. Table 4.
Holden-Lund C. Effects of relaxation with guided imagery on surgical stress and wound healing. Research in Nursing and Health, 1988 11 Aug. 235-244.
Huth MM, Broome ME, Good M. Imagery reduces children's post-operative pain. Pain. 2004 Jul;110(1-2):439-48.
Jones CW. Hypnosis and spinal fusion by Harrington instrumentation. Am. Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 1977 Jan;19(3):155-7.
Lang EV, Benotsch, EG, Fick, LJ, Lutgendorf S, Berbaum ML, Berbaum, KS, Logan H, Spiegel D. Adjunctive non-pharmacological analgesia for invasive medical procedures: a randomised trial. Lancet, 2000 Apr 29;355(9214) :1486-90.
Lang EV, Hamilton D. Anodyne imagery: an alternative to i.v. sedation in interventional radiology. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 1994 May;162(5):1221-6.
Lang EV, Joyce JS, Spiegel D, Hamilton D, Lee KK. Self-hypnotic relaxation during interventional radiological procedures: effects on pain perception and intravenous drug use. Int J Clin Exp Hypn, 1996 Apr;44(2):106-19.
Lucas ON, The use of hypnosis in hemophilia dental care. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1975 Jan 20;240:263-6.
Ludwick-Rosenthal R, Neufeld RW. Preparation for undergoing an invasive medical procedure: interacting effects of information and coping style. (1993). J Consult Clin Psychol, 1993 Feb;61(1):156-64).
Manyande A, Berg S, Gettins D, Stanford SC, Mazhero S, Marks DF, Salmon P. Preoperative rehearsal of active coping imagery influences subjective and hormonal responses to abdominal surgery. Psychosom Med, 1995 Mar-Apr;57(2):177-82.
Meurisse M, Faymonville ME, Joris J, Nguyen Dang D, Defechereux T, Hamoir E. Endocrine surgery by hypnosis. From fiction to daily clinical application. Service de Chirurgie des Glandes Endocrines et Transplantation, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liege, Belgique. Ann Endocrinol (Paris), 1996 57(6):494-501.
Meurisse M, Hamoir E, Defecheueux T, Gollogly L, Derry O, Postal A, Joris J, Faymonville ME. Bilateral neck exploration under hypnosedation: a new standard of care in primary hyperparathyroidism? Ann Surg. 1999 Mar;229(3):401-8.
Nilsson U, Rawal N, Enqvist B, Unosson M. Analgesia following music and therapeutic suggestions in the PACU in ambulatory surgery; a randomized controlled trial. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2003 Mar;47(3):278-83.
Oz M, M.D. “Healing from the Heart: A Leading Heart Surgeon Explores the Power of Complementary Medicine.” 2000 Dec. 12.
Rapkin DA, Straubing M, Holroyd JC. Guided imagery, hypnosis and recovery from head and neck cancer surgery: an exploratory study. Int J Clin Exp Hypn, 1991 Oct;39(4) :215-26.
Rensi C, Peticca L, Pescatori M. The use of relaxation techniques in the periopperative management of proctological patients: preliminary results. Int J Colorectal Dis, 2000 Nov;15(5-6):313-6.
yrjala KL, Donaldson GW, Davis MW, Kippes ME, Carr JE. Relaxation and imagery and cognitive-behavioral training reduce pain during cancer treatment: a controlled clinical trial. Pain, 1995 Nv;673 (2):189-98.
Tusek DL, Church JM, Strong SA, Grass JA, Fazio VW Guided imagery: a significant advance in the care of patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. Dis Colon Rectum. 1997 Feb;40(2):172-8.
Weinstein EJ, Au PK Use of hypnosis before and during angioplasty. Am J Clin Hypn. 1991 Jul;34(1):29-37.
Posted in Health Issues Specific Health Issues