TO OBSERVE AND ASSESS RELATION BETWEEN PRE-OPERATIVE ANXIETY AND POST-OPERATIVE PAIN IN LAPAROSCOPIC BARIATRIC SURGERY PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: Pre-operative anxiety in obese patients is expected to be more due to psychological reasons, body habitus, comorbidities, and fear of not waking up from anesthesia. It is associated with emotional and physical problems. Predictive factors are complexity of surgery, the anesthesia, post-operative pain, not being appropriately informed, and psychosocial characteristics of the patient. Not many such studies have been conducted in morbidly obese patients. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between pre-operative anxiety and post-operative pain in obese patients undergoing elective laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Methods: Total 200 patients of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Grade I–III were taken, with BMI >30 kg/m2, who were undergoing elective laparoscopic bariatric surgeries. The amsterdam preoperative anxiety and information scale (APAIS) score was recorded a day prior to surgery. Heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and SpO2 were recorded pre- and postoperatively. Patients were assessed for pain on the visual analog scale (VAS) in post-operative period at 0-, 1-, 2-, 6-, 12-, and 24-h intervals. All the data were entered in master chart and statistically analyzed (Pearson coefficient of correlation test). Results: There is a positive, weak, statistically significant correlation (r=0.157, p=0.026) between anxiety score (APAIS) and post-operative pain (the highest VAS across all hours). Conclusion: Pre-operative anxiety is directly linked to post-operative pain in obese patients undergoing elective laparoscopic bariatric surgery.