Emotional freedom technique/acupressure - any other techniques recommended to relieve/treat anxiety at operation?

[lisalisa]

I have a quite severe phobia of the operating theatre. It is not the needles I don't like - those I can happily bear. Its the smell of the pre-op room, the sight of it ( with all the little drawers and phials of liquids), the gowned up technicians and the sight of the bright lights through the door to the theatre. I am also terrified that I won't wake up from anaesthetic.

I need to have a small exploratory op in a week or so's time. This in itself is terrifiying as I know what they are looking for and the consequences of that are something I have boxed in to be dealt with post op.

I need however to get through the op and specifically the pre procedure.

A friend has suggested acupressure ( its acupuncture without needles) cobmined with emotional freedom technique ( or EFT for short). She hasn't used this practioner that she recommneds herself but has heard of others who have experienced success in removing phobias using it.

Has anyone else heard of this or had success with it or can offer or suggest any alternatives?

Thank yuo

Please anyone ? It is urgent.

I've just had an op of which I was terrified. I can't comment on EFT or accupressure because I hadn't tried them, but hypnotherapy worked relatively well - I'd used it during labour and tried to apply the same principles.

What also helped was explaining my fears to the anaesthetist. She made sure that I wasn't taken into the theatre until the last possible moment, and was given the anaesthetic as quickly as possible after being lain on the table.

And I also took some valium. That helped too.

Thinking of you...

Thanks breastmilk - great name by the way. Can I ask about VAlium - are you allowed then to take tablets or drugs before surgery? did you go private? I am NHS and always imagined - rightly or wrongly - that they just don't have time in day surgery for wusses who need extra ayttention

No, I was NHS and quite major surgery: they certainly had the time.

I was allowed to take the Valium - though it needed clearing with the surgeon and the anaesthetist before the GP could prescribe it.

Thanks for replying., Does anyone else have experience plesae of techniques to relazx you before surgery?

Deep breathing is remarkably helpful. Making sure that you are breathing from your stomach and not from the top of your chest as then you just shallow breath and can hyperventilate. I had surgery last week and was similarly panicking as the anaesthetic room was the same one I had had a very traumatic procedure in. However they listened to my concerns, held my hand, kept chatting to me about inane things. They are very used to nervous patients. Just share your worries. Do you still have your pre-op appt to go to? If so, let them know there and they can let you know what options there are for you.

Hi Ben10 - yes I do have my pre-op procedure to go on 3 May. I will explain to them at that apppointment but am also looking for some kind of theurepetic techniques to get me through it. It seems no MNers have experience of the one I was planning to try at all! Hopefully someone will have been as big a wuss as I am and have tried something or other they can recommend