Hypnotizability and hypnoanalgesia: hypnotizability of patients using hypnoanalgesia during surgery

We administered the Stanford Hypnotic Suggestibility Scale (Form A) (SHSS:A) to 10 patients from a population of 20 who had undergone surgery in the previous 10 years using hypnoanalgesia as the sole or principal analgesic agent. Time since surgery ranged from 2 days to 10 years. Scores on the SHSS ranged from 5 (medium susceptibility) to 12 (high susceptibility) with a mean of 8.6, significantly higher than the SHSS:A normative group (p less than .001). The relationship between severity of surgery and the use of hypnoanalgesia as the sole or principal analgesia was significant for our patient population (N = 20) but not for our patient sample (N = 10).