Anxiety during surgery ‘can be remedied with simple distractions’

A new UK study has demonstrated the potential benefits of using simple distractions to relieve anxiety and pain during operations in which the patient has not been sedated.

Carried out by the University of Surrey, the research examined ways of helping a group of 398 patients to relax during varicose vein surgery, separating them into four groups to test a quartet of different interventions.

It was shown that those who used stress balls or interacted with nurses during the surgery experienced less anxiety and pain, while watching a DVD reduced anxiousness, though it had no impact on pain. Listening to music, on the other hand, did not have a beneficial effect.

Such interventions could also be of benefit to patients undergoing other exploratory procedures, such as colonoscopies and hysteroscopies, which are all done while patients are conscious.

Study author Professor Jane Ogden from the University of Surrey said: "Our research has found a simple and inexpensive way to improve patients' experiences of this common and unpleasant procedure, and could be used for a wide range of other operations carried out without a general anaesthetic."