The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the
effects of guided imagery on postoperative outcomes in
patients undergoing same-day surgical procedures.
Forty-four adults scheduled for head and neck procedures
were randomly assigned into 2 groups for this
single-blind investigation. Anxiety and baseline pain
levels were documented preoperatively. Both groups
received 28 minutes of privacy, during which subjects in
the experimental group listened to a guided imagery
compact disk (CD), but control group patients received
no intervention. Data were collected on pain and narcotic
consumption at 1- and 2-hour postoperative intervals.
In addition, discharge times from the postoperative
anesthesia care unit (PACU) and the ambulatory proce