Psychological Preparation for Elective Surgery: A Patient's Guide

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• Mental Visualization and Planning
• Tailored Information and Patient Conviction
• Family Support and Hospital Environment
• Stress Reduction and Professional Help
• Cultivating a Positive Mindset
• Full Transcript

Mental Visualization and Planning

Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, asserts that the brain acts as the main commander for the body. He advises patients to actively plan their surgery in their head during the weeks leading up to the procedure. This mental preparation involves understanding the entire hospital process, from arrival to the post-operative room.

Dr. Leprince recommends that the entire medical team, including the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nurses, provide a clear timeline of events. For some patients, even visiting their future hospital room beforehand can significantly ease anxiety and help them feel more comfortable in their recovery environment.

Tailored Information and Patient Conviction

A critical component of psychological preparation is ensuring the patient is fully convinced of the treatment's benefits. Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, explains that he will not operate on a patient who expresses doubt. He believes it is better to postpone an elective surgery than to proceed without the patient's complete conviction.

The level of detail provided must be tailored to the individual. Some patients want a thorough explanation of the surgical procedure, while others prefer minimal information. The key is to provide enough education to build confidence without overwhelming the patient, a point Dr. Leprince discussed with Dr. Anton Titov, MD.

Family Support and Hospital Environment

Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, highlights the immense value of a supportive family presence. He advocates for hospitals to allow family members to visit patients 24/7, including in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This open visitation policy, common in the United States for decades, has taken time to become standard practice in other countries like France.

Having family stay in the patient's room provides emotional comfort and can greatly aid the recovery process. Dr. Leprince recalls his experience working with Dr. Jack Copeland in Arizona 20 years ago, where this practice was already well-established and highly effective.

Stress Reduction and Professional Help

For patients with extreme anxiety or underlying psychiatric conditions, seeking professional help before surgery is a powerful strategy. Dr. Leprince shares a case where a patient consulted a psychiatrist three times over six months before finally accepting the need for surgery.

This preparatory work resulted in a less stressful surgical experience, a smooth one-week hospital stay, and an easier discharge. Although the patient later needed time to accept rehabilitation, the initial psychological intervention was crucial for a successful overall outcome, as noted by Dr. Leprince in his conversation with Dr. Anton Titov, MD.

Cultivating a Positive Mindset

A practical daily exercise Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, recommends is spending 10 to 15 minutes consciously thinking about the upcoming surgery in a positive light. This act of daily mental visualization helps patients familiarize themselves with the process and approach it with a constructive attitude.

While the direct impact is difficult to measure, Dr. Leprince is confident that this practice is beneficial. He advises patients and their families to incorporate this positive reinforcement into their pre-surgery routine to build mental resilience. This final piece of advice from Dr. Leprince to Dr. Anton Titov, MD, underscores the profound connection between a prepared mind and a successful physical recovery.

Full Transcript

Dr. Anton Titov, MD: A patient may know that they have to go through major elective surgery. It is not emergency surgery. The surgical operation will be in one or two months. What can patients do to maximize their recovery chances? How to go through surgery successfully if they have one or two months to prepare?

Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD: I think a patient can do a lot to help themselves to go through surgery. It is very important for a patient to plan the surgery in their head, in the brain. Because I'm fully convinced that the brain is the main commander for the body.

During an appointment at the clinic, a surgeon, but also an anesthesiologist, coordination secretary, and nurses should explain to the patient and the family how things are going to happen. At what time the patient will come to the hospital? What's going to happen when they arrive at the hospital?

Sometimes it is very important for patients to look at their hospital room before surgery. They just can be sure they will feel good in the room after surgery. Sometimes patients want a detailed explanation about their future surgery. Sometimes patients don't want any explanations.

Then I will not provide a detailed explanation if a patient doesn't want to know. But, on the other hand, an explanation of surgery is very important to convince the patient that he has to go through this treatment. Whatever the treatment is, it could be surgery, interventional cardiology procedure, etc.

The patient should be fully convinced of benefits and risks of treatment. I will not operate on a patient who would say, "I'm not convinced that what I'm going to do to myself is good for me." It is better to wait to do surgery, even if there is a risk of disease progress.

We can tolerate some risk because the risk is never 100% in two days. It is better just to postpone the surgery if the patient is not yet fully convinced.

I remember one patient who had a psychiatric condition. It took six months to have the patient accept surgery. He went three times to the psychiatrist before the surgery. It was very helpful.

When he came for the surgery, he was less stressed. The surgery went well; he stayed one week in the hospital and was discharged quite easily. Then it took another two months for the patient to accept the rehabilitation. But eventually, he did well.

Initially, he was so stressed that it was not possible to do his surgery. This is very important for the patient to understand. What's going to happen? What process he or she will go through? How will the family be able to come to visit the patient?

I think it is very important. This is usual in the United States, but it was not usual in France until a few years ago. It is very important for the family to be able to visit patients at the hospital 24 hours, 7 days a week.

It is very important to be open to the family. They can visit the patient, even to stay in the patient's room. I remember when I used to work with Dr. Jack Copeland in Tucson, Arizona. It was 20 years ago.

Already at that time, the families were allowed to stay in the room, even in the ICU. I always thought it was a great thing. Now we offer for the family to stay with the patient here. But it took 15 years in France to come to that point.

Some patients do ask, "What can I do to come to the surgery in the best shape?" Some patients are stressed. They ask this question. How can patients have the best mental attitude before surgery?

I tell patients to spend 10 to 15 minutes a day just to think about the surgery. I advise you to think about the hospitalization, just to think about the surgery. Be positive about it.

I am not sure it is going to help. I don't know. But I think if the patient is positive 10 minutes a day about the surgery he will go through, I am pretty sure it is going to be pretty helpful.

This is advice we can give to patients and families before the surgery. It is individual. Some patients want more information. Some patients don't want too much information, because it will help them to go through and visualize their upcoming surgery. But patient education is very important.