| Abstract [eng] |
Research over the past two decades has shown that, regardless of the nature of the surgical intervention, the emotional state of patients before and after surgery has an impact on treatment outcomes. One of the most studied indicators of changes in emotional state is anxiety before surgery. Preoperative anxiety is shown to have an adverse effect not only on the course of anesthesia, but also on the postoperative period: it increases the likelihood and intensity of acute postoperative pain, the frequency of nausea, vomiting, delirium, prolongs length of stay, and negatively affects patient satisfaction. It has been observed that preoperative patient education concerning anesthesia and surgery is directly associated with better treatment outcomes and lower levels of anxiety before and after surgery. Preoperative patient education is defined as helping patients to understand and prepare emotionally for anesthesia, surgical procedure, and recovery period thereafter. (6) In Lithuania, preoperative patient education is an integral part of a preoperative interview with both a surgeon and an anesthesiologist. However, due to the uncertainty about the content, duration and nature of these interviews, the quality and quantity of information provided is not standardized. The aim of this literature review "Importance of Preoperative Patient Education and its Impact on Perioperative Well-being" is to analyse scientific publications of the last 10 years and discuss the impact of patients' emotional state in the perioperative period. Also, the paper investigates the importance of preoperative patient education, its impact on patients' emotional state, and its effectiveness in overcoming perioperative anxiety. |
