The Efficacy of the Relaxation Response in Preparing for Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

This study evaluated the efficacy of the relaxation response on the post-operative recovery of 27 cardiac surgery patients randomly assigned to one of two groups. Thirteen experimental group patients received educational information and practiced eliciting the relaxation response before and after surgery. The 14 patients in the control group received only information. Experimental and control groups were compared before and after surgery on both physiological and psychological recovery variables. There were no initial differences between experimental and control groups on demographic, physiological, and most psychological variables. The experimental group had lower incidence of postoperative supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) than the control group (p = .04) despite having had the same occurrence previously. Experimental and control groups did not significantly differ over the course of study on any other physiological variables. Patients practicing the relaxation response had greater decreases in psychological tension (p = .04) and anger (p = .04) than those who received only educational information. The decreases in psychological tension may have been a result of regression to the mean because the experimental group started with elevated tension relative to the control group (p = .04). We conclude that practicing the relaxation response before and after surgery may reduce SVT, tension, and anger.

The effect of perioperative psychological intervention on fatigue after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized controlled trial

“…This has also been shown in other trials where psychological interventions such as cognitive skills training, relaxation training, and guided imagery have not had positive effects on PSF measures in patients undergoing cardiac surgery [19], abdominal hysterectomy [20], colorectal resections [21], or hip and knee arthroplasty [22]. However, in the current study, fatigue and the impact of fatigue were significantly improved in the intervention group at postoperative day 30.…”

Do Psychological Variables Affect Early Surgical Recovery?

“…Of the 1071 patients, 861 received cardiac surgery [14], [18], [21], [26], [27], 173 general surgery [12], [16], [19], [20], [25] and 37 dental surgery [15]. Most of the procedures (1050 of 1071) were elective.…”

“…Examined interventions included guided relaxation [17], [25], [26], relationship-support or conflict visits [22], and psychiatric consults [27].…”

“…outcomes unrelated to the site of the operation) were not included. Eligible outcomes included wound inflammation or healing (assessed by peroxide stimulation test [23], [24], cytokine levels in wound fluid [19], or clinically by independent surgeons [13], [15], [17], [18], [22], [25]) and postoperative complications (wound infection, hematoma, postoperative fever etc) [12], [14], [16], [18], [20], [21], [26], [27]. Any of these outcomes is defined as an index of recovery.…”

Shaolin Dan Tian Breathing Fosters Relaxed and Attentive Mind: A Randomized Controlled Neuro‐Electrophysiological Study

“…Increasing empirical evidence has shown that mind-body training has positive effects on mental and physical problems such as depression [1–3], anxiety [4], obsessive-compulsive disorder [1, 5], insomnia [6], chronic pain [7], tension headaches [8], hypertension [9, 10], cardiac diseases [11], diabetes [12], irritable bowel syndrome [13], cancer [14], and viral infection [15]. Meditative breathing techniques, being a form of mind-body practice, have received increased interest for clinical use given that increasing empirical evidence suggests their positive effects on emotion [16–18], cognition [16, 19–22], and other physiological responses [23].…”