Influence of Perioperative Medical Hypnosis and Acupuncture on Early Postoperative Recovery

Detailed Description: Perioperative stress is associated with the procedure itself, anaesthesia, as well as various influences before and after surgery. Patient's feeling of discomfort and anxiety in the preoperative period are treated with benzodiazepines. Although these drugs calm the patient, they are associated with the occurrence of postoperative delirium, especially in elderly patients. Instead of benzodiazepines, patients can be calmed by other non-pharmacological methods. One of these is perioperative medical hypnosis, which also has other beneficial effects such as lower opioid consumption, better wound healing, shorter hospital stays.

At the Clinical Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care at the University Medical Center Ljubljana, in cooperation with the Clinical Department of Neurosurgery, investigators have been routinely using perioperative medical hypnosis in awake brain surgeries since 2016 and have very good experience.

The risk of postoperative delirium is also reduced by the use of intravenous anesthesia and reduced use of opioids.

Acupuncture has been a recognized and well-established method for the treatment of acute and chronic pain by the WHO for several decades. With the right choice of points, in addition to treating pain, we can also reduce nausea and vomiting. It is a safe method in the hands of trained doctors, with virtually no side effects.

Perioperative acupuncture has a number of beneficial effects: it reduces the consumption of anesthetics and analgesics, reduces the number of perioperative complications, and protects vital organs.