Hypnosis is best known as a means of inducing stage-show volunteers to act the fool but is also employed by some doctors and dentists. Its most startling medical use is in replacing general anaesthetics during surgery.

This technique, known as hypno-anaesthesia, has been practised for more than 150 years, according to the British Medical Journal. Only a handful of such operations take place in the UK but it is more widely used overseas. Sometimes in conjunction with a mild sedative or a local painkiller (see graphic), it induces a trance-like state in the patient and keeps their mind occupied. The advantages include reduced bleeding and a reduced risk of adverse reaction to anaesthetic.

Professor David Hatch of the Royal College of Anaesthetists says that while general anaesthesia is of little danger to most patients, some people, such as smokers and those with heart conditions or diabetes, have a higher risk of side effects. For them, hypnosis may be a solution. “It is not suitable for all patients but it has a valuable part to play and most anaesthetists would not be opposed. The fewer drugs you can use, the better,” Hatch says.

Hypno-anaesthesia has other advantages. Hypnosis patients do not need an artificial respirator and can often cooperate with the surgeon. During eyelid surgery, the doctor can check eyelid positioning before making final adjustments, for example. Some studies indicate that hypno-anaesthesia patients recover from surgery more quickly than other patients.

If no drugs are used, patients need to have had several hypnotherapy or home self-hypnosis sessions before surgery (see Kit Bag) to acquire the ability to enter a deep trance. Whether hypnosis is an objective physiological phenomenon is debatable, but scientists have used brain imaging to show how its techniques can reduce the perception of pain.

www.bscah.co.uk
Hypnotherapists aren’t all medically trained but members of the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis are all health professionals

www.hypnosisandsuggestion.org
Information and links on hypno-anaesthesia

www.hypnotherapytraininginstitute.org
Watch a video of an operation being performed under self-hypnosis on the British Society of Hypnotherapists’ training website

ESSENTIAL GEAR FOR SELF-HYPNOSIS

Self-Hypnosis by Brian Alman and Peter Lambrou
£7.99 from www.amazon.co.uk

Any patient planning to undergo hypno-anaesthesia without drugs should work on their ability to be hypnotised in the weeks leading up to the operation. This clearly written, thorough book is full of sensible ideas and useful instructions.

Positive Mental Training
£49 from www.positiverewards.co.uk

This 12-week self-hypnosis programme consists of three CDs and one DVD (it’s also available in MP3 format for £35). It’s a good tool for patients to practise relaxing hypnotically before surgery but is also prescribed by some Scottish GPs to treat anxiety and depression.

Sound Pillow Speaker
£7 from www.enhancedlistening.co.uk

This slim speaker is designed to slip under your pillow to enable you to listen to self-hypnosis audio material in privacy and comfort. Comes with a standard 3.5mm audio jack plug.

Sennheiser PXC 300 headphones
£90 from www.amp3.co.uk

Noise-cancelling headphones let you listen to self-hypnosis programmes at low volumes with less background noise. These smart Sennheisers sound great and fold up to become smaller than a pair of sunglasses. A pair of AAA batteries lasts 80 hours.