By Jaime Herndon

We’ve all been told that laughter is the best medicine – but it might actually be true, especially for children who are having surgery. A new study from Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem found that children who had a “medical clown” in the operating room had less anxiety, reported lower levels of pain, had less time in the operating room, and had shorter time to discharge than those children who did not have the clown. Fewer hours in the operating room and shorter recovery times also meant patients saved money – up to $461 per patient. The study will be presented by its author, Stanislav Kocherov, on Friday, at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association.

Medical clown “guilds” have been established in the United States, Canada, and Europe, many inspired by the movie “Patch Adams.” Distraction and laughter have been proven to relax anxiety with medical procedures.

What does this mean for you? If you have a niece or nephew headed to the hospital, don’t be afraid to clown around! Laughter is a much needed, beneficial, and maybe even health-promoting tool to help everyone feel better – and it might even help your niece or nephew recover faster!

Photo: Christin Lola
Published: May 19, 2015