“Hypnosis Decreases Presurgical Distress in Excisional Breast Biopsy Patients”  Julie B. Schnur, Ph.D, Dana Bovbjerg, PhD, Daniel David, PhD, Kristin Tatrow, PhD, Alisan B. Goldfarb, MD, Jeffrey H. Silverstein, MD, Christina R.Weltz, MD, and Guy H. Montgomery, PhD.  The study investigated the ability of a brief hypnosis session to reduce presurgical psychological distress.  This psychological distress has negative implications for post surgical side effects and satisfaction with anesthesia.  The study concluded that a brief presurgery hypnosis intervention can be an effective means of controlling presurgical distress in women awaiting diagnostic breast cancer surgery.

“Hypnosis Reduces Preoperative Anxiety in Adult Patients”  Haleh Saadat, MD, Jacqueline Drummond-Lewis, MD  Inna Maranets, MD, Deborah Kaplan, Anusha Saadat, Shu-Ming Wang, MD, and Zeev N. Kain, MD.  In this study the effect of hypnosis on preoperative anxiety was examined. On entrance to the operating room the hypnosis patients reported a 56% decrease in stress.  The control group reported a 47% increase in their anxiety upon entrance to the operating room. The study concluded  hypnosis significantly alleviates preoperative anxiety.

“The Mind Prepared” David Spiegel, MD, Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Univ. School of Medicine.  This article talks about a study done on 200 patients who underwent excisional breast biopsy or lumpectomy for breast cancer.  Patients were assigned to either a routine anesthesia plus a nondirective empathic listening or a brief 15-minute pre-surgery hypnosis session.  It concluded this brief hypnosis session significantly reduced the use of propofol and lidocaine.  The hypnosis group also had less pain, less nausea, less fatigue, less discomfort and less emotional upset then the control group.  The study also concluded the hypnosis saved an average of $772.71 per surgery, largely because of shorter time in the operating room.  The article discusses the large body of evidence proving adjunctive hypnosis substantially reduces pain and anxiety during surgical procedures thereby decreasing medication use, procedure time and cost.  The author comments,  “If a drug were to do all that, everyone would by now be using it”. 

“Adjunctive non-pharmacological analgesia for invasive medical procedures:  a randomized trial”  Lang EV, Benotsch EG, Fick LJ, Lutgendorf S, Berbaum ML, Berbaum KS, Logan H, Spiegal D, This study tested the assumption that non-pharmacological behavior adjuncts are a safe and efficient means of reducing discomfort and adverse effects during medical procedure.  This study consisted of 241 patients undergoing percutaneous vascular and renal procedures.  One group received standard care, a second received structured attention and the third received self- hypnotic relaxation.  The study concluded that the procedure time was shorter in the hypnosis group then the standard group and the attention group fell in the middle.  Hypnosis had a more pronounced effect on pain and anxiety and is superior because it also improved hemodynamic stability.

“Adjunctive self-hypnotic relaxation for outpatient medical procedures:  A prospective randomized trial with women undergoing large core breast biopsy” Lang EV, Berbaum KS, Faintuch, Hatsiopoulou O, Halsey N, Li XY, Berbaum ML, Laser E, Baum J, This article discussed the fact that there are limited options of managing pain and anxiety pharmacologically in medical procedures with an outpatient setting.  They performed a study using self-hypnotic relaxation on patients needing a large core needle breast biopsy.  236 women were randomly put in three groups, the first receiving standard care, the second structured empathic attention and the third self-hypnotic relaxation.  The study concluded both structured empathy and hypnosis decrease procedural pain and anxiety, however hypnosis provides more powerful anxiety relief without undue expense and is therefore an attractive option for outpatient pain management.

“Hypnosis and Surgery:  Past, Present and future”, Albrecht H. K. Wobst, MD, This article begins discussing the history of hypnosis.  It was first used in the 18th century. The first use of hypnosis for anesthesia in surgery was documented in the 1830’s and was called hypnoanesthesia.  In the late 1840’s ether and chloroform were introduced in surgical procedures and hypnosis became discredited.  Clinical hypnosis has been used sporadically since WWII.  A recent trend toward conscious sedation in anesthesia has renewed the interest in hypnosis.  Hypnoanalgesia has emerged as a combination of hypnotic techniques and pharmacological anesthesia and sedation. Studies show evidence that the combination of analgesia and hypnosis are superior to conventional pharmacologic anesthesia.

The article concludes that we now have measurable effects of hypnosis on the nervous system.  Imaging and electrophysiologic studies demonstrate changes in spinal and supraspinal pain pathways while a patient is under hypnosis.  When hypnosis is a part of the perioperative management, faster wound healing, less nausea, and earlier postoperative gastrointestinal recovery have all been shown. The author states “If hypnosis and autosuggestions provide clinical benefit, they do so without the need for equipment or drugs.  What other therapeutic measure appears so devoid of increased cost and demonstrable adverse effects?  Personal attention to the patient, emotional support, positive suggestions, and even hypnosis are readily available, safe, inexpensive, and attractive measures that might improve the care of our patients.”

If you would like to learn more about Atlantic Complementary Medical Solutions, sales enthusiasm, our guided imagery CDs; you have questions about hypnotherapy and hypnosis or would like to arrange an interview or session, please call us at 888-441-3332 or email to Sharon@ACMSWellness.com. Thank you for your interest.

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