Hypnotist snubs anaesthesia, goes into trance for surgery

London, Apr 19 (UNI) A hypnotist snubbed anaesthesia and send himself into a trance before undergoing surgery in Britain.

Mind-bender Alex Lenkei could hear the cracking of bones as the surgeon sawed at his hand but felt nothing.

Mr Lenkei, 61, underwent an 83-minute surgery at Worthing Hospital, West Sussex and said he could hear his surgeon talk as he slit a four-inch cut in his right wrist to chisel out a walnut-sized chunk of bone and move a tendon.

He said, ''It took me about 30 seconds to put myself under and I wasn't aware of any part of my body apart from my arm. I could feel the surgeon pulling and manipulating me, then I heard the cracking of bones.'' ''He used a hammer and chisel at one stage and I could hear him hammering away at the bone. I heard everything he was saying to his assistants and anaethetist,'' he added.

Mr Lenkei, a registered hypnotist who has been practising since he was 16, got operated to treat painful osteoarthritis.

Anaesthetist Richard Venn was on hand in case of any problems, but surgeon David Llewellyn-Clark was astonished to find that his patient showed no reaction to his work, even with a tight tourniquet around his upper arm, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The surgeon said, ''I wasn't aware he could hear us but halfway through he asked how things were going.'' Mr Lenkei said, ''I would have certainly told them if I was in pain.'' UNI XC SKB AS1340