Hypnosis may provide new option for 'awake surgery' for brain cancer

Could hypnosis help to reduce the psychological trauma associated with "awake craniotomy" for brain cancers? A new "hypnosedation" technique offers a new alternative for patients undergoing awake surgery for gliomas, suggests a study in the January issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

Initial evaluation shows a high rate of successful hypnosis in patients undergoing "awake craniotomy" for brain cancer (glioma), report Dr. Ilyess Zemmoura of Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Tours, France, and colleagues. They believe that hypnosedation might be especially valuable in patients with more advanced brain cancers.

Hypnosis Provides Sedation and Relaxation during 'Awake' Brain Surgery

Dr. Zemmoura and colleagues evaluated their hypnosis technique in 37 patients undergoing awake craniotomy, mainly for low-grade gliomas, between 2011 and 2015. In awake craniotomy, the patient is sedated but conscious so as to be able t