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According to a recent study, pronounced anxiety, especially when approaching and following gynecological surgery, is associated with increased postoperative pain. An observation that underlines the importance of finding methods to reduce stress.
Can anxiety accentuate the perception of pain after surgery? If the hypothesis seems logical, the impact of anxiety has not yet been characterized, especially in gynecological surgeries. But a new study conducted in Baltimore on preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain in patients undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery brings us today useful new information and confirms the fact that treating one would better accept the other.
149 women assessed before and after surgery
A multicenter observational study using questionnaires was conducted between September 2018 and June 2019 to assess preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain in 149 patients, average age 59, undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery. In this study population, the prevalence of preoperative anxiety was 26.8%. And the feedback after surgery demonstrated a fact: women with preoperative anxiety reported higher postoperative pain on days 1-2 and day 14.
Managing anxiety in the medical process
Thus, this small study alone demonstrates two facts: not only do women undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery suffer from moderate to severe preoperative anxiety. But as a result, women with preoperative anxiety seem to be more likely to increase postoperative pain. Understanding this association may not be the discovery of the century, but it could help surgeons implement preoperative advice and measures regarding postoperative pain, including operations to reduce anxiety.