Patients watch movies while going under the knife

Peterborough City Hospital is trialling a scheme where patients needing minor operations will get to watch movies rather than be given general anaesthetic.

The hospital believes that older people undergoing some orthopaedic procedures can be kept relaxed if they are allowed to watch their favourite films while under local anaesthetic.

Dr Richard Griffiths is leading the work and he believes the method will be particularly beneficial to patients who could have a bad reaction to general anaesthetic.

He said: "Patients really relax when they are watching their favourite films. Some have told us the TV can be so captivating that they are unaware that the operation has finished."

He added that one patient watched the Sound of Music while having an hip operation and another had surgery to their knee while glued to the BBC series The Blue Planet.

However, the 1987 Patrick Swayze movie Dirty Dancing has proven the most popular dvd amongst old female patients.

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