Hypnosis instead of traditional anesthesia. This is the revolution proposed by the department Cardiology at the S. Maria delle Croci hospital of Ravenna, to carry out the most invasive and annoying tests.
Used twice already
«With this technique – says director Andrea Rubboli – they have already been two transesophageal echocardiograms were performed in recent days in our clinics. All without resorting to pharmacological sedation and with positive feedback from patients who reported an excellent emotional experience without anxiety and pain.” The transesophageal echocardiogram is a test that involves the insertion of a probe into the esophagus and, in some cases, can cause various types of discomfort for patients, in some cases even real intolerance.
«Patients remained calm during exams»
This is why the patient is normally sedated with drugs which, however, can have side effects and which require an observation period of a few hours after the exam. With hypnosis, everything goes smoothly. «This new procedure has already been applied in various national and international structures for some time – explains cardiologist Rubboli -. The two patients who tried it remained calm for the entire duration of the exam and they were able to return home shortly after.”
What is it about
How did the exam take place? Once they were lying on the table and their consent was obtained, the patients were invited to focus attention on a specific point creating a multisensory contact with them through verbal, auditory and tactile stimuli which led, within a few minutes, to the desired modification of the state of consciousness. In order to use hypnosis, the Cardiology medical and nursing staff followed a training course, under the supervision of the director Rubboli and the coordinator Maria Drudi. In a short time it was thus possible to become familiar with hypnotic communication techniques capable of controlling anxiety and pain.
New road to travel
«A decidedly comforting result which, in the future, opens up new uses in the clinical activity of the Cardiology of Ravenna, even in the context of invasive and therefore more painful procedures, such as pacemaker implantation and coronagraphy, where they have already been demonstrated excellent results”, he concludes
director Rubboli.
