The Effect of Guided Imagery and Music Therapy on Post-Operative Recovery After Gynecological Oncology Surgery

The Effect of Guided Imagery and Music Therapy on Post-Operative Recovery After Gynecological Oncology Surgery

This pilot study will be a prospective, randomized trial which will take place at the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC). Eligible patients will be identified at the time of their first clinic visit. If selected to be involved in the study, the patients will be randomized to one of three different groups: a Guided Imagery and Music therapy group (GIMT) or one of two control groups.

The GIMT group will undergo a standardized regimen of peri-operative guided imagery and music therapy guided by CDs. As there are no studies which discuss whether the act of listening to any therapy will affect outcomes, we will also explore whether white noise can affect outcomes as well. Therefore, one control group (WN) will abide by the same regimen and will listen to a CD with white noise; the other control group (CP) will have no intervention at all and will follow our current peri-operative procedures.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects will include women who are being seen at the Women's Health Center by the Gynecological Oncology group at the University of Minnesota (UMMC). These women will be considered for inclusion based on their projected surgery: exploratory laparotomy. Subjects will have to have their surgery at the UMMC within 1 month of their clinic visit. Patients may be undergoing surgery for either known cancer (ovarian or uterine) or high suspicion for malignancy.

Exclusion Criteria:

• < 19 years old
• pregnant
• undergoing a procedure other than laparotomy
• scheduled to be discharged the same day of surgery
• chronic narcotic pain medication users
• if they are currently using or planning on using other complementary alternative medicine (CAM) therapies prior to or after surgery.