Man hypnotises himself before op
A hypnotist from West Sussex has undergone surgery on his right hand without
a general anaesthetic.
Alex Lenkei, 61, from Worthing, chose to sedate himself by hypnosis before
undergoing the 83-minute operation.
He said he was fully aware of everything going on around him during the
procedure but was free from pain.
The operation at Worthing Hospital involved removing some bone in the base
of the thumb and fusing some joints in an attempt to improve his arthritis.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon David Llewellyn-Clark said he was happy in
agreeing to the unusual sedation on Mr Lenkei, a registered hypnotist who
has been practising since the age of 16.
At one stage a hammer and chisel was used as well as a surgical saw, but I
felt no pain
Alex Lenkei
Mr Lenkei said Wednesday's surgery "went amazingly well".
"It took between 30 seconds to a minute for me to place myself under
hypnosis, and from that point I felt a very deep relaxation.
"I was aware of everything around me, from people talking and at one stage a
hammer and chisel was used as well as a surgical saw, but I felt no pain."
Throughout the operation, an anaesthetist was on standby to administer an
anaesthetic if necessary.
Mr Llewellyn-Clark said he had been confident that Mr Lenkei was a skilled
hypnotist and was "delighted all went well".