Preoperative evaluation of the knowledge and concerns of gynecology patients regarding anesthesia: A questionnaire based observational study

Abstract

Aim: Anesthesiology is an advancing discipline that is progressively recognized by the society. Preoperative patients may have concerns about anesthesia as well as surgical operations. There are various surveys on this subject, in which the knowledge of the subjects about the anesthesiologist, anesthesia, and related concerns were questioned. In this study, we aimed to determine the knowledge, experiences and concerns of our female patients who were to undergo gynecological operations regarding the anesthesiologists and anesthesia with the questionnaire we conducted, and to contribute to the literature by evaluating our results and discussing the precautions to be taken.Methods: A questionnaire-based observational study method was used in this study. The questionnaire, which was developed by the researchers, was conducted on the patients who were referred to the anesthesiology policlinic for gynecological operations and signed the informed consent forms. The patients were questioned in terms of knowledge and concerns about the anesthesiologist and anesthesia in general. Results: This questionnaire was conducted on 150 patients. Seventy-eight percent of our patients were educated below high-school level, while 22% had high school diplomas or higher. 93.33% percent of our patients had already experienced anesthesia and 68% knew that it was administered by a specialist. The most common causes of worry on anesthesia and the operations included inability to regain consciousness (58%), followed by postoperative pain (52%). Less frequent anxiety factors were determined as nausea and vomiting after anesthesia and prior fasting. Conclusion: As with all segments of the society, increasing the knowledge about anesthesia in women will reduce related anxiety. We believe that this information should be provided not only in polyclinic conditions but also through visual communication tools and brochures.