There was a national news story that came out in the summer of 2007 about the use of hypnosis for women undergoing breast biopsies. It appeared on ABC News on August 28.
A few things that stand out from this report are that after a short hypnosis session: women spent less time in the operating room, required less chemical anesthesia, and had fewer side effects – all of which lead to a savings of $770 per patient! On top of that, the ladies who experienced hypnosis we much calmer and more relaxed throughout the procedure.
Having worked with many breast cancer patients, it still amazes me that more treatment centers have not caught on to providing this brief and relaxing service to their patients. The fear of the biopsy results can put even the most level headed woman into an emotional tailspin. However, if you enter the procedure in an emotionally calm and relaxed manner, your experience of the biopsy will not be traumatic. Since a biopsy is occasionally a precursor to a cancer diagnosis, a hypnosis session can be assistive in setting you on a more positive course and optimistic outlook regarding future events.
If your local hospital or cancer treatment center does not offer pre-biopsy or pre-surgical hypnosis, you can arrange to receive a session from a qualified local hypnotist . I not only do sessions in my office to help others facing surgical and needle biopsies, but I do session over the phone in case you are not able to locate a hypnotist where you live.
