• Hypnosis. Hypnosis has gone from hocus-pocus parlor trick to pop-
ular alternative therapy that some say reduces anxiety and pain
almost as well as IV Versed. There's no pendulating pocket watch,
only ear buds and a loop of hypnotic recordings that lulls the patient
into a state of deep relaxation in pre-op with soothing suggestions
that his sensations are disappearing and reassurances that he'll recov-
er well and feel comfortable.
Hypnosis doesn't put patients to sleep. It's a form of guided medita-
tion or altered consciousness, a tool for imagination or distraction to
bypass reality, says Lynette Bear, DNP, CRNA, MBA, senior director of
anesthesia administration at the Laser Spine Institute and a clinical
hypnotist. As a patient goes deeper, he becomes more suggestible.
Some Laser Spine patients listen to a hypnotic recording for about 10
minutes in pre-op. Dr. Bear designed the loop recording, which has no
beginning or end.
Another recording she designed for use during anesthesia maintains
the hypnotic state throughout surgery, instilling feelings of well-being,
safety, security and comfort. "It's important to state suggestions as a
'positive' phrase, suggesting what will happen," says Dr. Bear. The
intraop recordings also mention "light appetite," which seems to help
decrease post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV).
In studies of the loop, Dr. Bear found that hypnotized patients expe-
rienced less PONV and spent 12% less time in recovery. They also
required less anesthesia and emerged more alert.
Patients at the University of Florida Health in Gainesville, Fla., can
tap into hypnotic language right in the waiting room with the My
Comfort Talk app (comforttalk.com). It's a collection of guided self-
hypnosis scripts patients can listen to on their smartphones, says
Irene M. Estores, MD, FAAPMR, director of UF Health Integrative
Medicine and a clinical hypnotist. By following the app's step-by-step
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