Surgery

Most recognized here in the West for his use of hypnosis in surgery is James Esdaile, though his method found much better reception in India. Modern day hypnotists have modified the techniques developed by Esdaile, Elliotson, Parker, Cloquet and other hardy pioneers of the past century. The most significant developments in this area include the use of autohypnosis, hypnotic suggestions to improve the postoperative period, glove anesthesia and autogenic training (which employs a day run of the intended surgery). This type of conditioning protects the patient against surprise, fear, and apprehension: the pain threshold is automatically raised by “blocking” the neurophysiologic paths that transmit the painful afferent impulses.

Hypnoanesthesia has been used successfully for many major and minor surgical procedures. Since the use of hypnosis allays fear and tension, hypnotic anesthesia is easily facilitated, anoxemia is reduced and, because of the profound relaxation, less analgesia and chemical anesthesia are required. In some patients the traditional preoperative administration of narcotics can be eliminated even in those who are presently able to enter the light stages of hypnosis.

Postoperatively, hypnosis is of inestimable value when it is used with suitable patients. For instance, when surgical patients wake up, they are usually afraid to cough because of excessive pain, especially those having upper abdominal operations. In good subjects, trained to enter quickly into hypnosis, fear, and often pain, may be eradicated in a matter of seconds by posthypnotic suggestion.

The chief disadvantage of hypnosis is its unpredictability and its effectiveness; not every patient responds as expected. Unless the hypnotic conditioning is performed in a group, the procedure can be time-consuming, and several hours of preparation may be required. However, since hypnosis is seldom utilized as the anesthetic agent per se, the unpredictability is not a deterrent – even if only partially successful, its advantages outweigh its disadvantages.

Pharmacologic analgesia and anesthesia, with their ease of administration and effectiveness, are the methods of choice over pure hypnoanesthesia for major surgery because of its reliability, and primarily because people are generally lazy, most often prefering that things are done for them. However, where there is a definitive contraindication to all types of chemoanesthesia, hypnoanesthesia is indicated.

In Joseph Barber's "Hypnosis and Suggestion in the Treatment of Pain", pg. 248, he states,
"The single most dramatic use of hypnosis for acute medial situations is for burn patients. Hypnotic intervention can dramatically improve the patient's experience of his injury, treatments, and recovery, and is very useful for pain control and improving nutrition and activity. Hypnoanesthesia eases the numerous necessary painful treatment procedures. Ideally, hypnotic treatment begins as early as the patient's arrival in the emergency room and extends throughout his hospital stay and into eventual reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation."

Though the mechanism of hypnoanesthesia is as yet poorly understood, current research indicates that the pain, perceived in the tissues, does not reach the pain receptors in the higher brain centers during hypnosis. With the higher cortical centers inhibited during deep hypnosis, the reticular formation and other subcortical centers prevent the intrusion of painful impulses into awareness. This raises the adaptive responses of the organism to them (painful stimuli). From an operational standpoint, a subject is relieved of pain when he becomes “relatively inattentive and unconcerned about all stimuli to which the hypnotist does not specifically direct his attention.” If the readiness to respond is minimized, “the sensation of pain” is no longer “painful”, it is an isolated “sensation” unaccompanied by pain.

Since hypnosis is a multifaceted tool, its effectiveness can be enhanced when it is employed in conjunction with other medical procedures. All physician-hypnotists who use hypnoanesthesia should recognize the limitations of this modality and not try to operate on every patient without careful selection, preparation, and availability of chemical anesthesia. This should promote a healthier acceptance of hypnosis, especially if its advantages are used judiciously.

Dave Elman was another at the forefront of the medical community promoting hypnosis and its use to medical personnel.

Elman suggests that the “coma” or “Esdaile state” is the level of hypnosis which can be used for surgery. Elman’s reasoning behind this is twofold: firstly, physical anesthesia is automatic even without suggestion, and secondly, physical mobility is not possible even with suggestion.

Elman suggests a pre-conditioning for the use of hypnosis before surgery described as follows;
1) Introduce the idea that the upcoming procedure can be accomplished painlessly and comfortably, naturally, via the Esdaile state. At the time he suggested not using the term hypnosis, but I feel that it is fairly safe, and probably more respectable to use proper terminology in this day and age.

2) If a desire is present, then introduce the patient to the trance state by guiding her into trance, most specifically into the somnambulistic state. While in this state, the patient is to be spoken to about the benefits of having the procedure done in the state of hypnosis, as well as how easily it will go, that the patient will do well throughout it, and that recovery will be quick and easy. The patient is also asked to practice this type of relaxation until the time of surgery.

3) Guide the patient into the Esdaile state for the experience, and continue talking about how well the surgery will go, and that she will be in better health than the present.

There is more help available for with this topic in our Health and Healing product section, or you can order your copy of our Preparation for Surgery and/or our Quick Recovery hypnosis program through the links below.

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Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)
Hypnotic Advancements
3126 McCarthy Court
Mississauga , ON
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© 2004, Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)

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