Relevance of stress containment of the psychotherapist PINE/PNIE before, during and after craniotomies in awake patients

Abstract

Brain tumors impose challenging approaches, with limited time. Technical, logistic and human complexity of the surgery increases the acute stress added to the chronic stress that affects all the stages of the process and also reaches the health team involved.

In craniotomy surgeries with the patient awake, the PINE/PNEI psychotherapist has a specific role in the preparation and advice on the intraoperative cortical mapping (ICM) procedure. This professional collaborates so that the patient and the family understand the modality of the technique and the benefits of its performing. Also to involve the patient actively in the surgery to facilitate the possibility of assessing functional areas and reduce the risk of surgical sequelae, for better quality of life.

Stress precedes the diagnosis, it is transversal and permanent during the whole treatment. The pre-surgical anxiety and the subsequent therapies require assistance to the patient and his or her family. Yet the PINE/PNIE approach is scarcely visible in this process and poorly recognized within the specialized scientific literature. Hence the aim of this article is to highlight the advantages of incorporating the PINE/PNIE approach since it would favor the well-being of the patient and his/ her environment before, during and after surgery.