Hypnosis for Colectomies as Postoperative Pain Management

The present study intends to assess the feasibility, value and direction of conducting a future, full scale randomised controlled trial, to evaluate the effects of clinical hypnosis on post-operative pain, following colectomy operations.

Pain management in the postoperative setting presents a challenge as the development and severity of pain after surgery is dependent on different patient and procedural factors. Furthermore, pain after surgery is a major concern for patients, especially when it is undermanaged. When postoperative pain control is suboptimal it delays mobilisation, reduces oral food and fluid intake after surgery, and increases the risk of developing chronic pain and other complications. These factors have a negative impact on the patient recovery process, thus increasing the length of hospital stay and healthcare costs. Hypnosis is well recognised as having an effect in pain perception, it is a brief, easy to administer intervention making it a promising non-pharmacological intervention with the potential to help postoperative pain management in patients undergoing colectomies as well as reducing anxiety and emotional stress related to surgery, while also having a positive indirect effect on recovery times, which could lead to considerable cost-savings at organisational level.

The intervention will be delivered at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust by a designated Principal Investigator. Hypnosis sessions will be given face to face in a clinical consulting room and on the ward where the participants will be admitted after surgery. The study aims to enrol 40 participants, 20 for each arm, over 12 months, from Musgrove Park Hospital who will undergo elective colectomy surgery. Eligible participants would be adults 18 years or over, undergoing elective colectomy surgery. Participants must be able to provide a written informed consent and able to understand and communicate in English.