by NBCCH staff

People who were hypnotized while undergoing surgery without a general anesthetic needed less pain medication, left the operating room sooner and had more stable vital signs than those who were not hypnotized, according to a new study. The study, led by Elvira Lang of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, involved 241 people of similar health and age who had surgery to open clogged arteries and veins, to relieve blockages in their kidneys, or to block blood vessels feeding tumors.

The patients were divided into three groups. One, the control group, experienced normal interactions with hospital staff. Another group, the placebo group, received extra attention from an additional person in the operating room who made sure nobody said anything negative. Patients in the third group were taught to hypnotize themselves, using imagery of pleasant scenes.

The hypnosis group fared best, although the group receiving the extra attention also benefited. Half the patients in these two groups needed no medication at all, while the rest needed only half as much medication as the control group. The hypnotized patients said the pain did not get worse as surgery progresses. They also had fewer problems with heart rate and blood pressure during surgery.

The original study was reported in the April 2000 issue of the medical journal, The Lancet.

Editor's note to hypnotherapists: Do not attempt to hypnotize your clients to undergo drug-free surgery unless you have obtained specific training in hypnotherapy for sustained pain management. If you conduct hypnotherapy with a client for pain management during surgery you will be working under the supervision of a M.D. Be sure to give the client ample practice sessions prior to surgery, insuring that the client can achieve and maintain hypnotically induced anesthesia.