Surgery is an agonizing experience due to the pain that patients always experience. Doctors use various techniques including analgesics to manage it, though some of these methods have not been very effective. An Hypnosis aided Awake Surgery (HAs) technique is another intervention believed to help reduce the psychological trauma related to surgery and decrease the occurrence of intraoperative pain and discomfort. It is also argued that hypnosis can prolong Intraoperative Neuropsychological Testing (IoNT) and Brain Mapping during awake surgery. Thus, it is imperative that more studies be conducted to determine the efficacy of hypnosis in relieving pain and anxiety during Awake Surgery (As).
A study by Pesce et al. (2020) examined the safety-effectiveness of HAs in comparison with the Standard As based on the occurrence of perioperative complications, neurological and clinical results, and how it affects individuals’ reaction and the length of time taken for the procedure. The researchers reviewed a number of patients who underwent surgery with HAs protocol and those who were treated with Standard As. For HAs, it was determined that it was possible to perform regional anesthesia without sedation. It was also determined that patients could not remember the surgery incidence due to hypnotic trance, and that patients were highly tolerant of IoNT and Brain Mapping procedures. Although the results indicated that there was no significant difference between HAs and SAs in terms of clinical and surgical outcomes, it was determined that the time span of IoNT when HAs is used is longer than that of SAs. The researchers conclude that hypnosis helps patients undergoing surgery to tolerate the procedure for longer time, which gives quality time for all the associated tests to be conducted.
In another study by Makovac et al. (2020), the researchers examined a patient with cyanotic congenital heart disease and arterial hypertension treated through using thyroidectomy administered with local anesthesia. The procedure involved the use of hypnosis-analgesia as opposed to intravenous sedation. The researchers argue that establishing effective relationship between the patient and the therapist is always important before the onset of the hypnotic induction. The patient must be guided through different phases of hypnosis namely induction, therapeutic suggestions, and emergence from the hypnotic state. It was determined that hypnosis can be used as an alternative to intravenous sedation especially in high-risk patients being treated with thyroidectomy under local anesthesia.
These studies show that hypnosis can be effectively used in surgery to help reduce pain and improve the outcome of surgical procedures. The technique must be appropriately applied to enhance its efficacy in attaining the intended goals. The studies indicate that hypnotherapy can be used as an alternative to anesthesia in some types of surgeries, while in others it can help in improving the quality and safety of the whole procedure.
References
Makovac, P., Potié, A., Roukain, A., Pucci, L., Rutz, T., Kopp, P. A., & Matter, M. (2020). Hypnosis and superficial cervical anesthesia for total thyroidectomy in a high-risk patient–A case report. International Journal of Surgery Case Reports.
Pesce, A., Palmieri, M., Cofano, F., Iasanzaniro, M., Angelini, A., D’Andrea, G., … & Salvati, M. (2020). Standard awake surgery versus hypnosis aided awake surgery for the management of high grade gliomas: A non-randomized cohort comparison controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience.
Melvin S. Marsh is a certified hypnotherapist serving Atlanta GA, Augusta GA, Statesboro GA, and Savannah GA. He performs hypnotherapy appointments both in person and worldwide virtually. He can be reached at www.afterhourshypnotherapy.com .
