Figure 71-13 Ninety-seven patients undergoing abdominal surgery were divided into two groups. The control group had a preoperative visit in which the anesthetist discussed the patient's medical condition but did not explain any postoperative events. The special care group had a careful preoperative explanation about postoperative pain, including its character, intensity, and management, and stressed that it was a normal occurrence. The special care group required significantly less morphine for pain relief than the control group did, thus emphasizing the importance of the preoperative visit in postoperative care. (Redrawn from Egbert LD, Battit GE, Welsch CE, et al: Reduction of postoperative pain by encouragement and instruction of patients. N Engl J Med 270:825, 1964.)