Preparing for Surgery

A 2007 study conducted at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City showed that a single 15 minute hypnosis session prior to breast surgery significantly reduced pain and anxiety, reduced the amount of anesthesia needed during surgery, and shortened the length of the surgery itself. Numerous articles in medical journals such as Lancet support the efficacy of hypnosis in shortening surgical time and stabilizing vital signs during surgery. In this hypnosis program, longtime paramedic and clinical hypnotist Maggie Staiger combines calming imagery of a lakeside dawn with suggestions for healing, relaxing and remaining stable during the operation itself, and for understanding the surgery as a tool for healing rather than a traumatic event.