Colon tumour removed under hypnosis on awake patient at the Molinette Hospital in Turin

As pointed out by the anaesthesia team at the Molinette hospital, artificial ventilation, which is necessary for general anaesthesia procedures, could have led to respiratory complications with an unpredictable outcome in this patient.

To overcome the contraindications to standard protocols, Professor Morino and Dr Valentina Palazzo developed a customised awake protocol.

The procedure was performed by combining abdominal wall blocks, conscious sedation thus keeping the patient in a state of wakefulness and clinical hypnosis.

Hypnosis has proven to be crucial in ensuring high tolerability of the surgical procedure, drastically reducing mental distress and the patient's need for sedative drugs.

This made it possible to maintain optimal neurovegetative stability and autonomous breathing throughout the procedure.

The success of the operation was made possible thanks to the great surgical experience of Professor Mario Morino, who had to adapt the operating technique to an awake patient context, where speed of execution and gentle tissue manipulation are crucial for patient comfort.

During the entire procedure, which lasted about 60 minutes, the patient conversed with Dr. Valentina Palazzo, who, using hypnotic techniques, transported the patient out of the operating room into his Apulian countryside.

The effectiveness of this synergetic approach was confirmed by a post-operative recovery described as 'exceptional' by the doctors.

Admission to the intensive care unit, which would have been required if the operation had been conducted under general anaesthesia, was not necessary.

The patient therefore returned directly to the in-patient ward. Despite the complexity of the operation and the fragility of the subject, the patient showed immediate functional recovery.

In the first 24 hours, resumption of independent walking and oral feeding was documented,by the second day bowel function was fully restored, pain control was always optimal.

The man's excellent post-operative course allowed him to make the safe journey back to Apulia a few days after the operation.

"This is a new frontier for frail patients. This surgery demonstrates how surgical excellence, combined with personalised medicine and the integration of techniques such as clinical hypnosis, can expand the boundaries of cancer surgery.

The Turin model led by Professor Morino confirms itself as a national reference point for the treatment of that patient population that, although in need of life-saving operations, presents prohibitive risks for standard surgical protocols,' says Livio Tranchida, Director General of the City of Health and Science of Turin.