Correlation between Preoperative Anxiety and Postoperative Pain in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecytectomy

Admission to the hospital is an anxious event for any individual and is extremely anxiety-provoking especially in case of surgical patients. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of pre-operative anxiety on postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The correlation research design was used. A purposive sample of 100 laparoscopic cholecystectomy(LC) patients were recruited. Three tools were utilized; the first tool was a semi-structured interview questionnaire, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Wong-Baker-Faces Pain Rating Scale. The study findings showed a significant correlation (r =0.156; P= 0.021) between preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain. Age insignificantly associated with anxiety and pain. Significant differences were found between male and female in relation to postoperative pain (t=0.581; P= 0.03). Level of education is significantly associated with anxiety. Future work is needed to incorporate appropriate preoperative information and assessment into a routine preoperative nursing practice for patients with LC. The researchers of the current study recommended development of personalized discipline specific clinical pathway such as enhanced recovery programmes  in postoperative period in order to reduce length of hospital stay and preoperative anxiety .