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Pre-surgery stress increases pain and hospital stay

2026-01-14 20:04:00, Shëndeti CNA

Pre-surgery stress increases pain and hospital stay

A new study suggests that relieving stress before surgery may play a key role in a faster and less painful recovery.

Patients who experience stress before surgery are more likely to experience more pain after surgery and have longer hospital stays, according to a study published in the January issue of the journal Anesthesiology. The researchers note that even modest levels of stress can negatively impact recovery.

The research involved 132 patients preparing for major surgery, who completed a three-minute digital questionnaire between November 2022 and February 2024. More than 40% of them reported moderate to high levels of stress, comparable to those of patients with advanced cancer.

Lead researcher Dr. Leah Acker, an anesthesiologist at Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina, said that assessing stress before surgery could help medical teams tailor communication and offer simple interventions to alleviate it.

The most common concerns of patients are related to sleep, appetite, communication with healthcare personnel, and family responsibilities. In open-ended comments, patients also mentioned financial problems, loss of independence, home repairs, and uncertainty about the future.

The study found that the number of stressors had a greater impact than the intensity of the stress. For each additional stressor, the risk of postoperative delirium increased by 19%. Delirium, a sudden state of confusion, is considered one of the most serious postoperative complications in the elderly and is associated with an increased risk of long-term dementia.

According to researchers, "overwhelmed" patients often become exhausted trying to resolve concerns before surgery, which affects their sleep and, consequently, their experience of pain.

Dr. Acker emphasized that future studies will aim to identify the specific sources of stress that most affect surgical outcomes and whether stress management interventions before the day of surgery can improve patients' health./ CNA





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