Hypnosis can be used for operations performed under local anesthesia:dental care, childbirth, cosmetic surgery… Because it is essential to be conscious in order to communicate with the therapist and vice versa. The ideal is to do a session before the surgery. This decreases D-Day anxiety. In the operating room, the therapist asks you to close your eyes and imagine a pleasant walk. It intervenes more or less to describe soothing images (a clearing, a beach…), bodily sensations (“Your leg is getting stiff”…) or quite simply to know if we are fine. He modifies the context to make it more reassuring:disinfection of a wound thus becomes “falling rain”. You don't have to answer, just make finger movements, if necessary.
In the context of an operation, the therapist who practices hypnosis is most often an anesthesiologist or nurse. It can be found on www.hypnose-medicale.com. Its practice comes as an accompaniment to anesthesia but does not replace it. However, as we are calmer, we feel less pain. As a result, less anesthetic is needed. Consequence:we have a better awakening and a better recovery. Conclusion… There is no risk in accepting hypnosis since in all cases you can benefit from local anesthesia. It works for almost everyone, including children, and all the more easily if you are sedated. It's a pity that this is so little practiced in the hospital...
L.K.
thank you to Dr Jean-Marc Benhaiem, author of “Hypnosis or the Gates of Healing” (ed. Odile Jacob).
