Hypnosis as an alternative to general anaesthesia for paediatric superficial surgery: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Reducing perioperative anxiety and controlling pain in children are essential to optimise recovery and outcomes for both children and their parents. By acting on sensory and affective modulation of anxiety and pain, hypnosis is widely used in medical care, especially in anaesthesia. This randomised controlled clinical trial was designed to compare general anaesthesia and intraoperative hypnosis support for perioperative management of children undergoing superficial surgery. METHODS: Children aged 7-16 yr scheduled for day-case superficial surgery were included and randomly assigned to one of the following two groups: general anaesthesia group or hypnosis group. The primary outcome was length of hospital stay. Child and parent anxiety, child pain, and the occurrence of postoperative negative behavioural changes were also evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty children of mean age 10.3 (standard deviation: 2.6) yr were enrolled in the study. Hypnosis was successful in all but one case. The median (25th-75th percentile) length of hospital stay was shorter in the hypnosis group (120 [95-145] vs 240.5 [218-275] min; P<0.001). The general anaesthesia group was associated with a greater incidence of high levels of preoperative anxiety in children (30 vs 11%; P=0.001) and parents (55 vs 30%; P=0.05). Pain scores did not differ between groups. No negative postoperative behavioural changes were reported. CONCLUSIONS: In children aged 7-16 yr, hypnosis appears to be feasible and accepted. The quality of the perioperative experience and the rapid recovery support the use of hypnosis as an effective and safe alternative to general anaesthesia for paediatric superficial surgery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02505880.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: Standardisation of care improves patient outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgeries are major paediatric procedures requiring multidisciplinary management. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs, with proven benefits in adults, remain poorly developed in paediatrics. The main objective of this Before/After study was to evaluate the impact of an ERAS program implementation for AIS on length of stay (LOS) and postoperative recovery. METHODS: The ERAS protocol included intrathecal morphine, standardised multimodal analgesia and multidisciplinary measures for early recovery. Retrospective data from adolescents operated between 2015 and 2017 ("Before ERAS" group) were compared with data from patients benefiting from the ERAS program ("After ERAS" group). Patients treated for neuromuscular scoliosis were not included. After a descriptive analysis, a propensity score matching defined two comparable populations. The main outcome was the LOS. The time to first solid food intake, first ambulation, first bowel movement and Foley removal were also analysed. RESULTS: During the "Before ERAS" period, 73 underwent PSF for AIS. Thereafter, 65 patients benefited from the ERAS protocol, including 35 for AIS. After propensity score application, 32 patients of the "After ERAS" group were matched with 32 patients of the "Before ERAS" group. The ERAS implementation was associated with 25% reduction in LOS (2.10 ± 1.60 days p < 0.001). All other enhanced recovery criteria were significantly reduced after ERAS implementation. CONCLUSION: These results confirm the expected benefits of ERAS program in AIS with a significant impact on postoperative recovery and LOS. Patient adherence and the involvement of all caregivers are essential to the success of such a program.