Pre-operative education and counselling are associated with reduced anxiety symptoms following carotid endarterectomy: a randomized and open-label study

Background:Post-operative anxiety is common and may have significant impact on the post-operative recovery of the patients. Theatre nurse visits before surgery has been shown to reduce patient’s anxiety levels following general surgery.Aim:To investigate the effect of pre-operative visits and counselling by intensive care unit (ICU) nurses on patient’s anxiety levels following carotid endarterectomy.Methods:This is an open-label and randomized clinical trial. Patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were divided into study (n=60) and control group (n=60). For the study group, in addition to routine pre-operational counselling by the surgeons, ICU nurses visited the patients and provided a structured counselling the day before surgery. For the control group, only routine pre-operative counselling was provided. Anxiety levels were assessed by Zung self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) the day before surgery and on the day after being discharged from ICU to the ward.Results:The two groups were comparable in age,...