Hypnosis for anaesthetists: a systematic review and meta-analyses
Marie José Lahoud1,2, Samuel Tell Gurary3, Nadia Elia1,2
1Division of Anaesthesiology, Department of Acute Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Anaesthesia
|September 24, 2025
Summary
Therapeutic hypnosis can reduce pain and anxiety during and after medical procedures. While beneficial for some outcomes in anesthesia, its full impact on patient recovery remains largely unstudied.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Psychology
- Medical Hypnosis
Background:
- Therapeutic hypnosis shows potential psychological and physiological benefits across medical disciplines.
- Its efficacy in anesthesia remains incompletely understood despite growing interest.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the effectiveness of hypnosis as an intervention in anesthesia.
- To analyze hypnosis's impact on pain, anxiety, and adverse events during and after anesthetic procedures.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive search for studies of any design involving hypnosis in anesthesia was conducted.
- Meta-analyses were performed using random-effects models, stratified by hypnosis timing.
- Data from non-randomized controlled studies were incorporated to strengthen the analysis.
Main Results:
- Pre-intervention hypnosis significantly reduced post-intervention pain and anxiety.
- Per-intervention hypnosis decreased intra-intervention pain and post-intervention anxiety.
- Hypnosis lowered the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting, with meta-analyses confirming these effects.
Conclusions:
- Hypnosis demonstrates efficacy in reducing anxiety and pain during anesthesia and lowers postoperative nausea and vomiting.
- Despite a large patient cohort, the impact of hypnosis on many anesthetic-related outcomes requires further investigation.
More Related Videos
06:33Method for Simultaneous fMRI/EEG Data Collection during a Focused Attention Suggestion for Differential Thermal Sensation
Published on: January 5, 2014
12.3K
08:49Assessing Changes in Volatile General Anesthetic Sensitivity of Mice after Local or Systemic Pharmacological Intervention
Published on: October 16, 2013
14.4K
Related Concept Videos
01:24General Anesthesia: Overview
583
Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
583
01:22Stages of General Anesthesia
1.5K
Various sedation levels offer significant advantages in facilitating procedural interventions for patients undergoing medical or invasive surgical procedures. These levels span from anxiolysis to general anesthesia, providing a spectrum of sedative effects to cater to specific patient needs. Anxiolysis reduces anxiety and is achieved through minimal sedation, enabling patients to remain awake and responsive while feeling more at ease during the procedure. This level can benefit minor...
1.5K
01:20Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview
1.0K
Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...
1.0K
01:24Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
602
Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
602
01:23Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview
1.4K
Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
1.4K
01:20Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Barbiturates
951
Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a drug class that acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to alleviate anxiety, promote relaxation and induce sleep.These drugs function by amplifying the actions of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), resulting in reduced neuronal activity. Barbiturates, a subset of sedatives and hypnotics first synthesized in the late 1800s, are categorized into ultra-short, short, intermediate, and long-acting groups based on their duration of effect. A...
951