Easy Methods to Make Surgery Safer

Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***.

Millions of surgeries take place across the country every day, because people’s bodies reach a state where they can no longer function without some tinkering beneath the skin. Now, this short article will dive into a rather dramatic subject, but one that needs to be talked about seriously sometimes: death. As we all know, surgeries that tinker in places such as your heart are needed, in this case because there is something wrong with the body’s pumping station. So, needless to say, when the surgery is over, patients may still face the possibility that the heart won’t get back to a healthy state.

But let’s not dwell on the negative. A positive and interesting study was recently reported in “The Lancet,” a major journal. Patients about to undergo a difficult heart procedure were taught how to practice “relaxed breathing” while receiving both soothing touch and soothing music before going under the knife. This unique combination of stress relief and healing touch led to a major finding. These patients were 65% more likely to be alive six months after surgery than patients who didn’t receive these pre-surgery therapies.

What this means is that your body may recover more quickly if these simple practices are utilized. It’s an early step toward this goal, but it’s one you should know about if you or anybody you love is facing an upcoming surgery. The “healing touch” occurred before surgery, with people trained in Music, Imagery, and Touch Therapy (also called “MIT”) placing their hands in certain spots on the patients’ bodies. The goal is to shift energy around and promote healing prior to surgery. It may sound quirky, but touch therapy is an ancient practice and materializes in many forms these days, including massage, chiropractic, and physiotherapy.

While they received healing touch, patients also chose what type of soothing music they wanted to hear. They also learned about guided imagery and deep breathing techniques that promote relaxation and calm. They were told to continue these during the surgery (they were awake). MIT succeeded in “profoundly” lowering emotional distress in patients before the surgery — and this is key, because stress can take a harmful toll on the body that would hamper recovery. Specifically, other research has shown that stress can increase swelling throughout the body, making it hard for your heart to heal itself.

Reducing anxiety and feeling cared for by using MIT is a simple thing for any patient to undergo before surgery. And it’s important; after all, what’s more important than survival?