Preoperative Guided Imagery in Patients Undergoing Urologic Surgery

This is a prospective randomized controlled trial of patients undergoing major urologic-oncologic surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center and the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. This clinical trial examines the effect of guided meditation before surgery on the levels of anxiety, stress, sleep disturbance, and quality of life among patients scheduled to undergo a major urologic surgery for cancer. A cancer diagnosis and the treatments associated with it can be very stressful for patients, leading to depression, sleep disturbances, and lower quality of life. Mind-body practices such as guided meditation have been used for thousands of years to reduce the effects of chronic stress and to improve quality of life. This clinical trial examines the effects of guided meditation on the stress, depression, and quality of life levels of patients undergoing urologic surgery for their cancer.