National Institute for Health

• Self Hypnosis Beneficial for Women Undergoing Breast Biopsy

In this study, self hypnosis was found to reduce both pain and anxiety for this outpatient procedure. Self hypnosis was compared to empathic attention from a researcher and was found more effective. 

As a result, the researchers suggest that self-hypnosis appears attractive for outpatient pain management.

• Hypnosis Before Breast-Cancer Surgery Reduces Pain, Discomfort, and Cost

With only 15 minutes of hypnosis before surgery, participants have significant reduction in pain and other discomfort associated with surgery.

Women in the hypnosis group required significantly less propofol and lidocaine, the doses of which were adjusted for individual patients as needed during surgery, than women in the control group. Use of fentanyl and midazolam did not differ significantly. Although use of pain medication after surgery did not differ between groups, women in the hypnosis group reported significantly less pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, nausea, fatigue, discomfort, and emotional upset than women in the control group.

Women in the hypnosis group also spent an average of about ten and a half fewer minutes in surgery than women in the control group. The researchers weren’t able to say why this was so, only that the finding was statistically significant and resulted in cost savings. On average, the surgical procedures cost about $770 less per patient in the hypnosis group.