Effectiveness of Guided Imagery Meditation in Patients With Laparoscopic Gallstone Surgery
Effectiveness of Guided Imagery Meditation in Patients With Laparoscopic Gallstone Surgery
Guided image meditation has been shown to alter the functional circuits of the brain to
 alleviate pain by mediating breathing and thoughts. Therefore, the purpose of this study is
 to investigate whether the intervention with guided image meditation after laparoscopic
 cholecystectomy can effectively alleviate postoperative pain, reduce anxiety, promote sleep
 quality, and increase pain control satisfaction for the patients with gallstones.
Gallstone is the most common digestive tract disease in general surgical wards. The incidence
 of gallstones in Chinese is about 5-10%, and the patients often seek hospital treatment due
 to abdominal pain. At present, most gallstones are treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy,
 and postoperative pain is one of the most troublesome problems for surgical patients.
 However, up to 90% of patients undergoing abdominal surgery still experience moderate to
 severe pain, which not only affects the patient's physical recovery, but also causes
 psychological anxiety. Therefore, it is important to provide good postoperative pain
 management. Guided image meditation has been shown to alter the functional circuits of the
 brain to alleviate pain by mediating breathing and thoughts. Therefore, the purpose of this
 study is to investigate whether the intervention with guided image meditation after
 laparoscopic cholecystectomy can effectively alleviate postoperative pain, reduce anxiety,
 promote sleep quality, and increase pain control satisfaction for the patients with
 gallstones.

 This study used 2×2 pre-test and post-test randomized control tests with randomized,
 single-blind, experimental study design. The research subjects were recruited from the
 general surgical ward of the North District Teaching Hospital. The study questionnaire
 included the assessment of pain levels using the 11-point Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11) and
 the 11-face Face Pain Scale (FPS-11), the degree of anxiety using the Chinese version of Beck
 Anxiety Inventory (BAI), pain control satisfaction using Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), and
 sleep quality using the Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (CPSQI). The number of samples
 in this study was calculated by G-Power 3.1.2 statistical software. At least 68 samples were
 collected and grouped by random allocation, with 34 each for the control group (conventional
 scheme) and the experimental group (guided image meditation intervention). After the
 pre-test, the two groups were post-tested on the first postoperative day. The data obtained
 in this study were statistically analyzed by statistical software SPSS 22.0 for descriptive
 statistics including number of assignments, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Maximum and
 Minimum. Inferential statistical analysis by analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi-square test,
 independent sample t-test, logistic regression, Pearson's correlation, repeated measures
 ANOVA and Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) tested the pre-test and post-test results of
 the experimental group and the control group to compare the difference between the two groups
 in pain index, anxiety level, sleep quality and pain control satisfaction.

 This study intended to use the characteristics of the guided image meditation being easy to
 learn and easy to operate and the evidence-based measures to alleviate postoperative pain,
 reduce anxiety, promote sleep quality and improve post-surgical pain control satisfaction to
 prove the empirical effect of guided image meditation in clinical care. It is hoped to
 provide an empirically based interventional effect to improve the problems associated with
 patients after laparoscopic surgery and improve the quality of life of patients after
 surgery. The results of this paper are expected to be published in domestic and foreign
 journals, so as to add to empirical academic literature and to be shared by medical staff for
 increasing new knowledge.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  at least 20 years old, and diagnosed as having gallstones and had laparoscopic
 cholecystectomy

 -  conscious, can communicate in Mandarin and Taiwanese; and have agreed to participate
 in the study.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  with hearing or vision severely impaired

 -  cognitive mental disorder, such as mental illness

 -  who are unwilling to participate in this study.