A hypnotist put himself under while major surgery was carried out on his hand without having any kind of anaesthetic.
Alex Lenkei is believed to be one of the first patients ever to sedate himself with hypnosis in the country, and certainly it was the first of its kind at Worthing Hospital, where the orthopaedic surgery took place on Wednesday, April 16.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon, David Llewellyn-Clark agreed to allow patient, Mr Lenkei, 61, to use self hypnosis whilst doctors carried out an operation on his right hand.
Mr Lenkei from Worthing, is a registered hypnotist and was keen not to have an anaesthetic.
The operation, which involved removing some bone in the base of the thumb and fusing some joints took over 80 minutes.
The outcome should improve Mr Lenkei's arthritis and give him more mobility.
Click here to see a picture of the surgical process.Click here to see the metal plate in situ.Click here to see an x-ray of Mr Lenki's hand after surgeryFor a full in-depth report, see the Herald on Thursday, April 24.
Keep an eye on the website for video of Mr Lenki talking about his experience.
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