Effects of Preoperative Anxiety on Intraoperative Hemodynamics and Postoperative Pain

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of the level of the anxiety of the patients on the intraoperative hemodynamic parameters and postoperative pain, patient satisfaction and the stay period at the hospital. STUDY DESIGN: A descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey, from December 2015 to February 2016. METHODOLOGY: Seventy-two patients were operated for elective cholecystectomy. They were asked to answer state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) questionnaire. The patients were classified into two groups as high and low anxiety levels. The targeted variables were compared. RESULTS: There has not been found any significant relationship between the level of anxiety and age, gender, marial status, level of education, profession, general anesthesia, comobidity and postoperative shivering. However, patients with high preoperative anxiety scores had unstable hemodynamic parameters (arterial pressure, heart rate, peripheral oxygen saturation) intraoperatively, increased postoperative pain and analgesic consumption with dissatisfaction. CONCLUSION: Preoperative anxiety might cause hemodynamic problems in the intraoperative period, increased analgesic need and lower postoperative satisfaction of the patients in the postoperative period. It would be better to dispel the preoperative anxiety by conselling patient regar anesthesia, surgeon, and the institute.