In vivo desensitization in the treatment of chronic emesis following gastrointestinal surgery

Abstract

Following successful surgery for gastrointestinal cancer, a 53-year-old female patient could not retain solid foods. Although all tests showed no recurrence of her tumor, she insisted that “it was coming back” because she was vomiting as she had done when cancer was first discovered. Through the use of in vivo desensitization the patient was able to retain all foods after five daily sessions. However, her fear that the tumor had recurred did not extinguish until she had been symptom-free for 6 months. Nine months postoperation her weight had stabilized, she was eating normally, and no new problems had developed.