AANA journal
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of guided imagery on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing same-day surgical procedures: a randomized, single-blind study.
The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of guided imagery on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing same-day surgical procedures. Forty-four adults scheduled for head and neck procedures were randomly assigned into 2 groups for this single-blind investigation. Anxiety and baseline pain levels were documented preoperatively. ⋯ At 2 hours, the guided imagery group reported significantly less pain (P = .041). In addition, length of stay in PACU in the guided imagery group was an average of 9 minutes less than in the control group (P = .055). The use of guided imagery in the ambulatory surgery setting can significantly reduce preoperative anxiety, which can result in less postoperative pain and earlier PACU discharge times.