KBB-Forum 2019 , Cilt 18, Sayı 3

PREOPERATIVE ANXIETY AND POSTOPERATIVE PAIN LEVELS IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING TONSILLECTOMY

İmran AYDOĞDU 1, MD; Yavuz ATAR 2, MD; Ziya SALTÜRK 2, MD; Zeynep AYDOĞDU 2, MD; Okan PARMAKSIZ 1, MD;
1Bahçelievler Devlet Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz, İstanbul, Turkey
2Okmeydanı Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz, İstanbul, Turkey Objective: To determine whether psychological variables such as preoperative anxiety can serve as predictors for the postoperative pain response.

Methods: Thity two consecutive patients who undergoing tonsillectomy were evaluated in the pre- and postoperative periods. Preoperative anxiety was assessed by the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Index. The severity of pain was recorded with a ten-point Visual Analog Scale at the immediate postoperative and at late postoperative period.

Result: The mean Spielberger STAI score was 44.2 ± 9.86 (range: 29?69). The mean VAS score was 4.33 ± 1.9 in the immediate postoperative period and 3.95 ± 1.8 in the late postoperative period. State anxiety and postoperative pain were positively correlated. Preoperative state anxiety significantly (positively) predicted immediate postoperative pain.

Conclusion: We found that it was important to pay attention to the psychological characteristics of patients for whom tonsillectomy was planned. Patients exhibiting high-level anxiety should be identified preoperatively, and their anxiety levels reduced via anxiolytic premedication. Keywords : Tonsillectomy, anxiety, visual analog scale, questionnaire, STAI