The Relationship between Neurosurgery Patient's Awareness of Surgery Procedures and Complications on Preoperative Stress Level

Anxiety is one of the most common problems of patients prior to the surgery. Although the surgical techniques are quite advanced, most patients still experience anxiety before the surgery. This study investigated the relationship between neurosurgery patients’ awareness of surgery procedures and complications on preoperative stress level in teaching hospitals, affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.
This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2014. The study population consisted of all patients with relative consciousness that had been waiting for neurosurgery. Based on previous studies, 10% of patients (104 cases) who were candidates for neurosurgery were selected in the first eight months of 2014. The data collection tool for assessing patients’ awareness of surgery procedures and complications was created by researchers and the anxiety of surgery patients was measured using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS statistical software.
The results showed that 3.8% of patients had very little or no anxiety, 34.6% mild anxiety, 43.3% moderate anxiety, and 18.3% severe anxiety. The patients’ anxiety mean was 14.05 ± 19.16. Patients’ familiarity with complications was moderate. People who were hospitalized previously, were less anxious in comparison to others (P=0.027).
According to the present findings, people who were familiar with the hospital environment felt less anxious providing the appropriate information. The anxiety levels of patients who are candidates for neurosurgery may be reduced by responding to their information needs. It was found that anxiety levels could also be reduced by familiarizing the patients with the conditions and environment of the operating room. Attention to the needs of these patients should be continuously evaluated and monitored.