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Abstract

Orthopedic Research Online Journal

Preoperative Anxiety Predicts Dissatisfaction with the Results of Lumbar Intervertebral Discectomy

  • Open or CloseTõnu Rätsep* and Liisa Kams

    Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Tartu, Estonia

    *Corresponding author: Tõnu Rätsep, Department of Neurosurgery, Tartu University Hospital, L.Puusepa 8, 50406 Tartu, Estonia

Submission: December 17, 2021Published: January 04, 2022

DOI: 10.31031/OPROJ.2022.09.000705

ISSN : 2576-8875
Volume9 Issue1

Abstract

Background: Preoperative anxiety may lead to increase in morbidity and postoperative pain in patients with lumbar disc herniation. A prospective study was conducted to evaluate the incidence, determinants and prognostic value of preoperative anxiety in patients scheduled for lumbar discectomy.

Methods: The prospective observational study was performed on 100 patients. Visual analog scale and Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) were used to evaluate preoperative anxiety level. The clinical outcome and overall satisfaction with the results of the treatment was evaluated after six months.

Results: Most of the patients (86%) described preoperative anxiety and APAIS scores were significantly higher for surgery than for anesthesia. Patients with higher anxiety values experienced higher pain intensity and were less informed about the disease. APAIS-anxiety scores were significantly correlated with the desire for information according to APAIS-knowledge values (r=0.59; p<0.0001). Female gender was the only factor that proved to be significantly related to APAIS scores in a multivariate model (p=0.04). Preoperative anxiety was not correlated with postoperative pain intensity, however, the patients with higher preoperative APAIS scores were more frequently not satisfied with the results of the treatment (p=0.03).

Conclusion: The present study showed that preoperative anxiety is common before lumbar discectomy and female gender is the most important contributor to higher anxiety values. Preoperative anxiety is related to the desire for information, pain intensity and the extent of knowledge about the disease and associated with postoperative dissatisfaction with the treatment results.

Keywords: Preoperative anxiety; Lumbar discectomy; Radiculopathy; Lumbar disc herniation

Abbreviations: APAIS: Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale; LDH: Lumbar Disc Herniation; LD: Lumbar Discectomy; VAS: Visual Analog Scale; ODI: Oswestry Disability Index; BMI: Body Mass Index

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