Programs & Services

Prepare for Surgery Program

Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster by Peggy Huddleston

At Lourdes, a holistic nurse leads this one-hour workshop based on the book and teachings of nationally recognized author Peggy Huddleston. The workshop is open to all and free to all Lourdes patients (a small fee is charged for patients of other Centers). Workshop participants receive a Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster Relaxation/Healing CD or audio tape. A family member or friend may accompany patients at no charge.


Purchase Prepare for Surgery from the Lourdes online Gift Shop!

What you will learn:

An analysis of 191 research studies with 8,600 patients documents that people who prepared for surgery using mind-body techniques had less pain, fewer complications and recovered sooner. In addition, patients report they: Peggy Huddleston's Five Steps to Prepare for Surgery:
  1. Calm preoperative jitters guided by the Relaxation CD or tape. Feeling peaceful strengthens your immune system and creates the biochemistry that enhances healing.
  2. Visualize your recovery by turning worries into healing imagery.
  3. Surround yourself in the love of family and friends to feel calmer before surgery.
  4. Use "Healing Statements," words spoken during surgery that reduce the use of pain medication by 23-50%.
  5. Establish supportive doctor-patient relationships.
Ideally you will read the book and use the CD or tape one or two weeks before your operation. If you only have a day before surgery, you can still benefit.

Peggy Huddleston, MTS, is the author of Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster: A Guide of Mind-Body Techniques. She trains healthcare professionals to teach her workshop for people facing surgery. Her ground-breaking research and clinical work focus on the ways emotions and the human spirit enhance healing. She has been featured nationally on PBS-TV. Her book is recommended at hospitals including Brigham and Women's Hospital (a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital), NYU Medical Center in New York and Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center in California. She has taught workshops in self-healing to thousands in the US and Europe. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, she is a psychotherapist.

For more information or for a workshop schedule, call 1-888-LOURDES.