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Prior To Procedure: The Mental Preparation
By Michael Lasalandra
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Correspondent
So you have to undergo surgery. You’re anxious. You don’t know what is going to happen to you while you are in the operating room. And you are fearful that you’ll be in a lot of pain afterwards.
Is there anything you can do, both to ease your anxiety beforehand and to make things go more smoothly, both during the operation and afterwards?
The answer to these questions is a resounding “yes,” according to Dr. Jim Rodrigue, clinical psychologist and Director of Behavioral Health Services at the Transplant Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
“Unless it is emergency surgery, there is a lot you can do to prepare, both emotionally and physically,” Dr. Rodrigue says.
These steps range from collecting as much information as possible in advance about the surgery to getting in better physical shape to adopting a variety of stress reduction techniques to making sure you have proper emotional and logistical support from loved ones.
“First, find out as much as possible about the surgical procedure,” he says. “For most people, the more information you have about what to expect, both during and after the surgery, the easier it is to cope with the notion that you need surgery.”
Second, take steps to get healthier before you go into the operating room, he says. These include quitting smoking, losing weight, reducing alcohol intake and improving your nutrition.
“Doing these things can help you heal more quickly,” Dr. Rodrigue explains.
Taking mental steps to help ease the anxiety about the whole process, including practicing meditation, yoga, guided imagery or self-hypnosis, can also help tremendously.
“These are all strategies that have been shown to be increasingly effective in facilitating recovery from surgery,” he says. “Patients who do meditation in preparation actually experience less pain in terms of intensity and duration compared to those who did not do meditation and had the same surgery.”
Even if you only have a few days or weeks of advance notice that you are going to need surgery, these techniques can help, he says.
“It is normal for people to be anxious and nervous during the preoperative period,” he says. “Often, we give people medications to ease that anxiety, but you can do a lot yourself. Relaxation strategies help with blood pressure and blood flow, for example. And postoperatively, they can be helpful in managing your pain.”
A number of these strategies can be found in a variety of books and tapes or CDs. Prepare For Surgery, Heal Faster is a book-CD combination that Dr. Rodrigue recommends to patients.
Beyond these things, Dr. Rodrigue notes it is important to line up relatives or friends to help you with both emotional and logistical support, such as driving you to and from the hospital and being available in the days after the operation to help around the house.
“Make sure to rally your support team,” he says.
In the end, patients who adopt some or all of these recommendations tend to do better, according to Dr. Rodrigue. “Surgery is a vulnerable time,” he says. “By using these tools, you have a greater sense that you have some control over the surgical event. And there is empirical data substantiating its effectiveness.”
Above content provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor.
Posted October 2008
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Correspondent
So you have to undergo surgery. You’re anxious. You don’t know what is going to happen to you while you are in the operating room. And you are fearful that you’ll be in a lot of pain afterwards.
Is there anything you can do, both to ease your anxiety beforehand and to make things go more smoothly, both during the operation and afterwards?
The answer to these questions is a resounding “yes,” according to Dr. Jim Rodrigue, clinical psychologist and Director of Behavioral Health Services at the Transplant Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
“Unless it is emergency surgery, there is a lot you can do to prepare, both emotionally and physically,” Dr. Rodrigue says.
These steps range from collecting as much information as possible in advance about the surgery to getting in better physical shape to adopting a variety of stress reduction techniques to making sure you have proper emotional and logistical support from loved ones.
“First, find out as much as possible about the surgical procedure,” he says. “For most people, the more information you have about what to expect, both during and after the surgery, the easier it is to cope with the notion that you need surgery.”
Second, take steps to get healthier before you go into the operating room, he says. These include quitting smoking, losing weight, reducing alcohol intake and improving your nutrition.
“Doing these things can help you heal more quickly,” Dr. Rodrigue explains.
Taking mental steps to help ease the anxiety about the whole process, including practicing meditation, yoga, guided imagery or self-hypnosis, can also help tremendously.
“These are all strategies that have been shown to be increasingly effective in facilitating recovery from surgery,” he says. “Patients who do meditation in preparation actually experience less pain in terms of intensity and duration compared to those who did not do meditation and had the same surgery.”
Even if you only have a few days or weeks of advance notice that you are going to need surgery, these techniques can help, he says.
“It is normal for people to be anxious and nervous during the preoperative period,” he says. “Often, we give people medications to ease that anxiety, but you can do a lot yourself. Relaxation strategies help with blood pressure and blood flow, for example. And postoperatively, they can be helpful in managing your pain.”
A number of these strategies can be found in a variety of books and tapes or CDs. Prepare For Surgery, Heal Faster is a book-CD combination that Dr. Rodrigue recommends to patients.
Beyond these things, Dr. Rodrigue notes it is important to line up relatives or friends to help you with both emotional and logistical support, such as driving you to and from the hospital and being available in the days after the operation to help around the house.
“Make sure to rally your support team,” he says.
In the end, patients who adopt some or all of these recommendations tend to do better, according to Dr. Rodrigue. “Surgery is a vulnerable time,” he says. “By using these tools, you have a greater sense that you have some control over the surgical event. And there is empirical data substantiating its effectiveness.”
Above content provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor.
Posted October 2008
