Abstract

Background: surgery is an anxious experience because it threatens the integrity of the whole. Anxiety disorders have been observed in the most patients who are undergoing for surgery. Anxiety lead to delay wound healing and loss of physical and mental energy, and increased hospital stays and increased treatment costs.

Aim: To evaluate the level of anxiety and its related factors in patients undergoing abdominal surgery in Urmia.

Methods: This study was a descriptive correlational research conducted on 80 patients undergoing abdominal surgery in Imam Khomeini and Imam Reza hospitals in Urmia, Iran. Using Spielberger's trait and state anxiety scale data collection was done. The data obtained from the questionnaires were statistically analyzed by SPSS software version 16 with Pearson correlation analyze.

Results: The finding showed that the mean state anxiety and trait anxiety of patients were 46.09 ± 6.73 and 51.11± 5.50 respectively, which were at moderate level. Among the demographic variables based on Pearson correlation analysis, gender and age with state anxiety scores (P = 0.02, r = 0.01) and trait anxiety score (P = 0.04, r = -0.51) of patients undergoing abdominal surgery, respectively.

Conclusions: preoperative education to patients, in the form of explaining how problems and care they may face and with a simple explanation can prevent their anxiety and thus speed up the chances of recovery and reduced length of stay, hospital costs, and postoperative complications in patients.