Post operative nausea, vomiting and pain are the most common distressing symptoms following surgery. Recently much interest has been shown in the influence of auditory stimuli during anesthesia, and studies suggest that thinking may occur while under adequate general anesthesia. The aim of my study was to investigate the effect of intraoperative positive suggestion on the incidence of post operative pain, nausea, vomiting, general well being and gas output time.

Following ethics committee approval of our hospital, informed written consent was obtained from 60 ASA 1 or 2 patients scheduled for major gynecological surgery. Patients were allocated randomly to study or control groups. Those in the study group were played tapes containing positive suggestions ; those in control group were played a blank tape. Anesthesia was induced with propofol, succinycholine, vecuronium, and was maintained with enflurane 1.5 vol% in a 50% mixture of oxygen in nitrous oxide. Head phones were applied and patients in study group were played a tape suggesting that there would be no pain, nausea or vomiting and that they would be comfortable after the operation. The tape was played repeatedly throughout surgery until skin closure. The severity of postoperative nausea, vomiting, pain, postpoerative well being state and gas output were assessed using a four-point 0-3 verbal rating score (VRS) and scores were collected in the recovery room, at a postoperative 3 hr, 6 hr, 12 hr, 24 hr and 5 days.

There was no significant difference between groups for any VRS parameter, i.e., postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, general state of being or gas output time.

Despite hearing positive suggestion in patients undergoing total hysterectomy surgery during general anesthesia, we were unable to demonstrate any reduction in the incidence of postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, general well being state scores and gas output time.