Positive Health Online

Abstract

MONTGOMERY and colleagues, Ruttenberg Cancer Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA, guy.montgomery@mssm.edu, assessed the effects of brief hypnosis in the period prior to surgery on women undergoing breast biopsies to confirm or refute the diagnosis of breast cancer.

Background

Many thousands of women per year undergo breast biopsies to investigate the possibility of breast cancer, suffering the pain of the procedure and distress due to the threat of cancer . Hypnosis has been shown to be effective in controlling pain associated with other types of surgery, but there has been little study of its effect in breast surgery. The present study examined the effect of brief surgical hypnosis on postsurgical pain and distress in women undergoing breast surgery and explored possible mechanisms mediating the effects of hypnosis.

Methodology

20 women undergoing excisional breast biopsy were randomly assigned to receive presurgical hypnosis or standard care (control group).

Results

Women who underwent presurgical hypnosis experienced less postsurgical pain and distress . Initial findings indicate that the beneficial effects of hypnosis were mediated by the women's presurgical expectations .

Conclusion

References

Montgomery GH et al. Brief presurgery hypnosis reduces distress and pain in excisional breast biopsy patients. The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 50 (1): 17-32. Jan 2002.