• Sevgi Dadaş Eldaş and Fatma Eti Aslan.
• Operating Theater of Medicine Faculty of Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey. sevgidadas@yahoo.com
• Acta Orthop Traumato. 2004 Jan 1; 38 (3): 212-9.

ObjectivesThis comparative-descriptive study was planned to evaluate the reasons for postponement of scheduled orthopedic surgical operations and its effect on anxiety and pain levels of patients.MethodsThe study included 100 patients (age range 21 to 56 years) who were admitted to the orthopedics department for a scheduled surgical operation in the lower extremity. Fifty patients who were subject to postponement of the operation on the scheduled day comprised the study group, and 50 patients who underwent surgery on the intended day comprised the controls. Data were collected by means of a patient questionnaire, the Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety scale, and a pain assessment scale. Evaluation of pain was made six times at regular intervals within 48 hours postoperatively. The results were compared.ResultsThe most common reason (28%) for postponement was the presence of medical diseases on the part of the patient. Most frequently, the decision for postponement came from anesthesiologists (42%). Compared to the preoperative level, the mean state anxiety score showed a significant increase following the notification of the patients concerning the postponement (p=0.001). The number of patients who reported "disturbing pain" was at all times high in the study group, being significantly more in the second, third, and sixth evaluations.ConclusionPostponed surgical operations result in an increased degree of emotional trauma and pain in patients assigned to have orthopedic surgical interventions.

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