Intraoperative therapeutic suggestions in day-case surgery: are there benefits for postoperative outcome?

To determine if improved postoperative recovery in surgical inpatients receiving intraoperative therapeutic suggestions are applicable in an outpatient population, 70 consenting, unpremedicated adults undergoing elective outpatient hernia repair under general anaesthesia were allocated randomly to either a therapeutic tape (TT) or a comparison tape (CT) group. A standardized general anaesthetic technique was used with propofol, fentanyl or alfentanil, isoflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen. Pain, and nausea and vomiting were assessed after operation at 30, 60 and 90 min and at 2, 6 and 24 h. The presence of other side effects, such as headache and muscular discomfort, in addition to recall of tape contents, were also evaluated after operation. Absorption ability was measured before operation. The groups were similar in patient characteristics, preoperative, surgical and anaesthetic characteristics, and level of absorption. There were no differences in pain ratings or need for analgesics administered at any time after operation. Nausea/vomiting was experienced significantly fewer times by patients in group TT compared with group CT over the first 90 min (group CT 15%, group TT 4%; P<0.02), but not over the last three assessment times (group CT 10%, group TT 14%; P<0.25). The therapeutic tape group experienced fewer side effects over the entire postoperative assessment period (P=0.03), in particular less headaches (P=0.03) and less muscular discomfort (P<0.02). Use of intraoperative therapeutic suggestions could present mildly significant postoperative benefits in outpatients.