Hypnosis decreases presurgical distress in excisional breast biopsy patients.

Excisional breast biopsy is associated with presurgical psychological distress. Such distress is emotionally taxing, and may have negative implications for postsurgical side effects and satisfaction with anesthesia. We investigated the ability of a brief hypnosis session to reduce presurgical psychological distress in excisional breast biopsy patients. METHODS: Ninety patients presenting for excisional breast biopsy were randomly assigned to receive either a 15-minute presurgery hypnosis session (n = 49, mean age: 46.4 (95% CI: 42.3-50.4)) or a 15-minute presurgery attention control session (n = 41, mean age: 45.0 (95% CI: 40.8-49.2)). The hypnosis session involved suggestions for increased relaxation and decreased distress. The attention control session involved nondirective empathic listening. Presurgery distress was measured using visual analog scales (VAS) and the short version of the Profile of Mood States (SV-POMS). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and chi2 procedures. RESULTS: Groups did not differ in terms of the following: demographics (age, education, ethnicity, marital status, all P's > 0.28); medical variables (presurgery diagnosis, previous excisional biopsy, previous breast cancer, all P's > 0.11); or preintervention distress (SV-POMS P > 0.74) assessed on the day of surgery. Postintervention, and before surgery, patients in the hypnosis group had significantly lower mean values for presurgery VAS emotional upset (16.5 vs 38.2, P < 0.0001, d = .85), VAS depressed mood (6.6 vs 19.9, P < 0.02, d = .67), and SV-POMS anxiety (10.0 vs 5.0, P < 0.0001, d = 0.85); and significantly higher levels for VAS relaxation (75.7 vs 54.2, P < 0.001, d = -0.76) than attention controls. CONCLUSIONS: The study results indicate that a brief presurgery hypnosis intervention can be an effective means of controlling presurgical distress in women awaiting diagnostic breast cancer surgery.

Anesth Analg. 2008 Feb;106(2):440-4, table of contents. Schnur JB, Bovbjerg DH, David D, Tatrow K, Goldfarb AB, Silverstein JH, Weltz CR, Montgomery GH. Department of Oncological Sciences, Box 1130, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York City, NY 10029-6574, USA. julie.schnur@mssm.edu






Posted: 06/06/2008

Bookmark and Share

This article provided by The International Hypnosis Research Institute.

Enter your email address to subscribe to the IHRI Newsletter.

Eliminating Spider Fear

This hypnosis session will easily and effortlessly allow you to eliminate your fear of spiders.You’ll be able to deal with spiders with a calm and rational mind, appreciate the beauty of spider webs, and see a spider without any negative emotion.

Accepting Darkness

This hypnosis session will easily and effortlessly allow you to eliminate your fear of the dark because it works at a deep inner mind level.You won’t have to live in fear any more in this world of light and dark&sleep at night better!

Comfortable Dentistry

Overcome Your Fear Of Dentists.This hypnosis session will allow you to easily&calmly go to your dental appointments and relax.You will focus on your taking care of your teeth&find that negative associations with the dentists disappear.
Home Who we are Services Contact Us FAQ Links