Cardiovascular Surgery Healing Enhancement Program

Types

Patients scheduled for heart surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester will receive a brochure on the Healing Enhancement Program when they are admitted to the hospital. The brochure lists the healing enhancement therapies that are available.

Patients and their family members are encouraged to discuss these complementary therapies with their cardiac medical team to determine which therapies may provide benefits during which treatment segments: prior to, during, or after patients' surgical procedures.

Patients and families can select the therapies and coordinate with designated nurses to schedule the services. Therapy options include:

• Massage
• Music therapy
• Relaxation therapies
• Prayer

Massage
Massage techniques involve kneading, stroking and manipulating the body's soft tissue to relieve muscle tension and stress, and promote relaxation.

Studies have found that massage helps reduce feelings of pain and helps decrease anxiety. Because massage can reduce tension in the body, patients often feel better and may need less pain medication during recovery. Massage can be particularly beneficial to patients who have open heart surgery and the related back pain after surgery due to the rib cage being opened for access to the heart.

At Mayo Clinic, the massage therapist works in coordination with the medical team to ensure massage is administered properly and to avoid any possible injuries to patients. A massage therapist is available by appointment. Patients or family members can contact a member of their cardiac medical team to arrange appointments. Read more about massage at MayoClinic.com .

Music
Music therapy is a widely accepted and easily accessible method to promote relaxation and reduce tension, stress and anxiety. Because listening to music helps patients relax and feel less tense, it helps decrease pain, improve patients' moods and promote better sleep.

Research on the effectiveness of music therapy dates back to the 1920s, when a study reported individuals' blood pressure dropped when listening to music. Currently, our program is conducting a research study to measure the effects of music therapy on pain, anxiety and tension.

As part of the Cardiovascular Surgery Healing Enhancement Program, rooms for cardiac surgery patients have music systems. A selection of CD music is available at each cardiac surgical unit. We encourage patients to bring their own preferred music. Selections on hand include easy listening, relaxation, classical, country, and instrumental. Contemporary music with sounds of nature, such as birds chirping and water flowing, is also available. Music systems include AM/FM radios.

Relaxation Therapies
The purpose of relaxation therapies is to reduce the physical and emotional tension and stress brought on by heart surgery. Research has indicated that the brain may produce different chemicals when the body is tense versus when the body is relaxed.

Relaxation therapies offered through the Healing Enhancement Program include:

• "Stress, wellness and your health" – This class is offered twice a week for patients and family members and focuses on stress management techniques.
• Deep breathing – Inhaling and exhaling slowly to help the whole body relax.
• Meditation – A variety of mental activities used to turn attention inward to the mind, for example, repeating a word slowly to create a sense of calm and to focus the mind on something other than pain.
• Visualization (guided imagery) – Guiding the mind to recall a place filled with pleasant memories, and visualizing details to distance the mind from pain and anxieties.
• Progressive relaxation – Tightening and relaxing the body, one part at a time, to help relieve stress.

For heart surgery patients at Mayo Clinic, a stress management coach is available by appointment. Requests can be made through the nurses. Read more about techniques and benefits of these and other relaxation therapies at MayoClinic.com .

Prayer
Mayo Clinic offers religious and spiritual support through chaplain services for many religious denominations. Chapels are located in the hospitals and clinic. Worship services are available throughout the community. Patients and their families may request chaplain services by contacting their nurse.

Therapies that are being considered by the Healing Enhancement team but have not been implemented include:

• Acupuncture for nausea
• Acupressure
• Aromatherapy