Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster

1. Harness the power of your mind to prepare for surgery and heal faster

Your focused thoughts, images and emotions are powerful medicine.

Mind-body connection. The book emphasizes the profound impact of mental preparation on surgical outcomes. By utilizing specific mind-body techniques, patients can significantly reduce anxiety, minimize pain, and accelerate healing. These techniques include deep relaxation, visualization, and positive affirmations.

Research-backed benefits. Multiple studies have shown that patients who prepare mentally for surgery experience:

• 23-50% less pain medication usage
• Faster recovery times
• Reduced anxiety before and after surgery
• Fewer complications
• Shorter hospital stays

By actively engaging in mental preparation, patients can take control of their healing process and improve their overall surgical experience.

2. Practice deep relaxation to reduce anxiety and boost your immune system

Feeling peaceful soothes your nervous system and strengthens your immune system.

Relaxation techniques. The book introduces a specific relaxation process, guided by a CD, to help patients achieve a state of deep calm. This practice involves progressively relaxing different parts of the body, visualizing a peaceful place, and focusing on positive emotions.

Physiological benefits. Regular relaxation practice offers numerous advantages:

• Reduces stress hormones like cortisol
• Increases production of immune-boosting T-cells
• Balances the nervous system, shifting from "fight-or-flight" to "rest-and-digest"
• Improves sleep quality
• Alleviates stress-related symptoms like headaches and hypertension

Patients are encouraged to practice relaxation twice daily in the weeks leading up to surgery, creating a foundation of calm that carries through the surgical experience and recovery period.

3. Visualize your healing process to enhance recovery and reduce pain

Don't use your mental force to push away a negative image with a positive one. This is like putting beautiful wallpaper on top of a stain. Eventually the old stain bleeds through.

Healing imagery. The book guides readers to create vivid, personalized visualizations of their healing process. This involves imagining three specific "end-results":

1. Feeling comfortable immediately after surgery
2. Experiencing a smooth recovery
3. Being fully healed and engaged in a beloved activity

Practical application. Patients are encouraged to:

• Consult with their surgeon to understand the desired surgical outcome
• Create detailed, multi-sensory visualizations of the healing process
• Practice these visualizations regularly, especially when feeling anxious
• Replace worry-filled thoughts with healing imagery throughout the day

By consistently focusing on positive outcomes, patients can create a mental environment conducive to healing and potentially influence their physical recovery process.

4. Create a support network to improve surgical outcomes

The emotional support you receive from your family and friends strengthens your immune system, boosting your recovery.

Organize support. The book emphasizes the importance of actively creating a network of emotional support before and after surgery. This involves:

• Asking friends and family to send positive thoughts or prayers during surgery
• Arranging for a loved one to be present before and after the operation
• Creating a schedule for visitors and helpers during recovery

Scientific basis. Research has shown that patients with strong emotional support experience:

• Reduced anxiety before and after surgery
• Lower rates of complications
• Faster healing and recovery times
• Improved overall well-being during the healing process

The book provides practical tips for organizing this support, including how to communicate needs effectively and how to handle well-meaning but potentially draining visitors.

5. Use healing statements during surgery to minimize pain and complications

Having your doctor or a nurse say specific healing statements to you during your operation can directly affect how much pain medication you take and how long it takes you to heal.

Therapeutic statements. The book provides specific healing statements to be spoken by medical staff during surgery:

1. "Following this operation, you will feel comfortable and you will heal very well."
2. "Your operation has gone very well."
3. "Following this operation, you will be hungry for [favorite food/drink]. You will be thirsty and urinate easily."
4. A personalized statement based on the surgeon's recommendations for recovery

Research-backed effects. Studies have shown that patients hearing these statements during surgery experience:

• 23-50% reduction in pain medication usage
• Faster recovery times
• Fewer complications
• Earlier hospital discharge

The book provides guidance on how to request the use of these statements from your surgical team and explains the psychological mechanisms behind their effectiveness.

6. Meet with your anesthesiologist to alleviate fears and optimize care

For years anesthesiologists have combined drugs to calm patients before surgery. It turns out that one of the most active ingredients for calming you is not a drug, but rather an informative and supportive doctor-patient relationship with an anesthesiologist.

Pre-operative meeting. The book stresses the importance of arranging a meeting with an anesthesiologist before surgery to:

• Discuss concerns and fears about anesthesia
• Review medical history and current medications
• Understand the anesthesia process and what to expect
• Discuss pain management options for after surgery

Benefits of preparation. Research has shown that patients who have a supportive pre-operative meeting with an anesthesiologist experience:

• Reduced anxiety before surgery
• Lower pain medication requirements after surgery
• Earlier hospital discharge
• Improved overall surgical experience

The book provides a list of questions to ask during this meeting and emphasizes the importance of clear communication about individual needs and preferences.

7. Embrace inner peace and love to facilitate holistic healing

Deep within you, perhaps forgotten or buried long ago, is a place of immense peace. It is a source of ever flowing love. It is your essence.

Transpersonal dimension. The book introduces the concept of accessing a deeper level of peace and love within oneself, often referred to as the "transpersonal dimension." This involves:

• Identifying personal gateways to inner peace (e.g., nature, music, art)
• Practicing regular immersion in these peaceful states
• Cultivating a sense of connection to something larger than oneself

Holistic healing. By accessing this deeper level of peace and love, patients can:

• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Strengthen the immune system
• Improve emotional well-being
• Enhance overall healing on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels

The book provides exercises and guidance for exploring this dimension, emphasizing its potential to transform the healing process and overall life experience.

Last updated: November 19, 2024