Impact of stress coping capacity on recovery from abdominal hysterectomy in a fast-track programme: a prospective longitudinal study

The Impact of Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Low Stress-Coping Capacity on the Effects of Telephone Follow-Up on Recovery Measures After Hysterectomy

Background

To investigate if symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress-coping capacity have an impact on the effect of telephone follow-up (TFU) on trajectories of six recovery measures after hysterectomy and influence the occurrence of unplanned telephone contacts (uTCs) and unplanned visits (uVs) to health care providers.

Material and Methods

A post hoc nonrandomized analysis of participants enrolled in a randomized, four-armed, single-blinded, controlled multicenter intervention study comprising 487 women where the women were allocated 1:1:1:1 to one of four TFU models. The Swedish Postoperative Symptom Questionnaire (SPSQ) and two health-related quality of life questionnaires, the EuroQoL-5 dimension with three levels (EQ-5 D-3 L) and the Short-Form-Health Survey (SF-36) assessed the recovery measures. The six recovery measures consisted of the EQ-5D-3L health index, the SF-36 physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS), and the maximum and average pain intensity, and symptom sum score obtained from the SPSQ. Psychological distress was evaluated by the psychometric forms, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Stress Coping Inventory. The occurrence of uTC and uV within the 6 weeks of follow-up was registered.

Results

Preoperative anxiety, depression, and stress-coping capacity did not modify the effects of the TFU models on the trajectories of the recovery measures, although anxiety and depression were strongly associated with all six recovery measures. uTCs, but not uVs occurred more often in the women with anxiety.

Conclusions

Preoperative anxiety, depression, and stress-coping capacity did not appear to influence the effects of TFU contacts on the recovery measures after hysterectomy. Preoperative anxiety seemed to increase the occurrence of uTC. Clinical Trials Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01526668).

Association Between Experimental Pain Thresholds and Trajectories of Postoperative Recovery Measures After Benign Hysterectomy

Purpose

Quantitative sensory testing (QST) can be applied to quantify the sensitivity to different painful stimuli. This study aims to evaluate the association between preoperative pressure and thermal pain thresholds and trajectories of measurements of postoperative recovery (patient-reported daily maximum and average pain intensity, sum score of symptoms, and analgesic consumption) after benign hysterectomy.

Patients and Methods

A prospective, longitudinal single-blinded, observational multicenter study was conducted in five hospitals in the southeast of Sweden between 2011 and 2017. A total of 406 women scheduled for abdominal or vaginal hysterectomy for benign conditions were enrolled in the study. QST measuring pressure (PPT), heat (HPT), and cold pain thresholds (CPT) were performed preoperatively. The cut-off levels for dichotomizing the pain thresholds (low/high) were set at the 25-percentile for PPT and HPT and the 75-percentile for CPT. The Swedish Postoperative Symptom Questionnaire was used to measure postoperative pain and other symptoms of discomfort (symptom sum score) on 13 occasions for six weeks postoperatively. Daily analgesic consumption of opioids and non-opioids was registered.

Results

A CPT above the 75-percentile was associated with high postoperative maximum pain intensity (p = 0.04), high symptom sum score (p = 0.03) and greater consumption of non-opioids (p = 0.03). A HPT below the 25-percentile was only associated with greater consumption of non-opioids (p = 0.02). PPT was not associated with any of the outcome measures.

Conclusion

CPT seemed to be predictive for postoperative pain and symptoms of discomfort after benign hysterectomy. Preoperative QST may be used to individualize the management of postoperative recovery for low pain threshold individuals.

Associations between postoperative analgesic consumption and distress tolerance, anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Patients' postoperative treatment might be affected by their psychological state. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of anxiety, coping ability (stress tolerance), depression, and pain catastrophizing on analgesic consumption in patients scheduled for sleeve gastrectomy.

METHODS

This prospective observational study consisted of 72 patients. The Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) were completed in the preoperative period. In the postoperative period, pain intensity, as measured with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and morphine consumption (mg) were evaluated after 2, 6, 8, and 24 hours. Total morphine consumption was recorded.

RESULTS

The results revealed a strong negative correlation between distress tolerance and postoperative total morphine consumption (r = -0.702, p < 0.001). There was a strong positive correlation between total morphine consumption and pain catastrophizing (r = 0.801, p < 0.001). A moderate positive correlation was observed between total morphine consumption and anxiety and between total morphine consumption and depression (r = 0.511, p < 0.001; r = 0.556, p < 0.001, respectively). Linear regression revealed that distress tolerance, anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing are predictors of postoperative morphine consumption (β = 0.597, p < 0.001; β = 0.207, p = 0.036; β = 0.140, p = 0.208; β = 0.624, p < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Distress tolerance, anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing can be predictive of postoperative analgesic consumption. In the estimation of postoperative analgesic consumption, distress tolerance, as well as anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing, were found to be important predictors.

The Effect of Follow-Up Contact on Recovery After Benign Hysterectomy: A Randomized, Single-Blinded, Four-Arm, Controlled Multicenter Trial

Background: The objective of this trial was to analyze the effect of follow-up programs using standard follow-up protocol and structured coaching on recovery after hysterectomy in an enhanced recovery after surgery setting. Materials and Methods: A randomized, four-armed, single-blinded, controlled multicenter trial comprising 487 women was conducted at five hospitals in the southeast region of Sweden. The women were allocated (1:1:1:1) to Group A: no planned follow-up contact; Group B: a single, planned, structured, broadly kept, follow-up telephone contact with the research nurse the day after discharge; Group C: planned, structured, broadly kept follow-up telephone contact with the research nurse the day after discharge and then once weekly for 6 weeks; and Group D: as Group C, but with planned, structured, coaching telephone contact. Recovery was assessed by the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaires EuroQoL-5 Dimension with three levels (EQ-5D-3L) and Short-Form-Health Survey with 36 items (SF-36) and duration of sick leave. Results: Neither the recovery of HRQoL as measured by the EQ-5D-3L and the SF-36 nor the duration of sick leave (mean 26.8-28.1 days) differed significantly between the four intervention groups. Irrespective of mode of follow-up contact used, the women had recovered to their baseline EQ-5D-3L health index 4 weeks after surgery. The occurrence of unplanned telephone contact was significantly lower (by nearly 30%) in the women who had structured coaching. Conclusion: Follow-up contact, including coaching, did not seem to expedite the postoperative recovery in HRQoL or reduce the sick leave after hysterectomy, but the coaching seemed to reduce unplanned telephone contact with the health care services. ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT01526668).

Predictors of well-being and quality of life in men who underwent radical prostatectomy: longitudinal study1

OBJECTIVE

to identify socio-demographic, clinical and psychological predictors of well-being and quality of life in men who underwent radical prostatectomy, in a 360-day follow-up.

METHOD

longitudinal study with 120 men who underwent radical prostatectomy. Questionnaires were used for characterization and clinical evaluation of the participant, as well as the instruments Visual Analog Scale for Pain, The Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale, Satisfaction with Social Support Scale, Marital Satisfaction Scale, Subjective Well-Being Scale and Expanded Prostate Cancer Index. For data analysis, the linear mixed-effects model was used.

RESULTS

the socio-demographic factors age and race were not predictors of the dependent variables; time of surgery, problem-focused coping, and anxiety were predictors of subjective well-being; pain, anxiety and depression were negative predictors of quality of life; emotion-focused coping was a positive predictor. Marital dissatisfaction was a predictor of both variables.

CONCLUSION

predictor variables found were different from the literature: desire for changes in marital relationship presented a positive association with quality of life and well-being; emotion-focused coping was a predictor of quality of life; and anxiety was a predictor of subjective well-being.

Cost-effectiveness of an internet-based perioperative care programme to enhance postoperative recovery in gynaecological patients: economic evaluation alongside a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of an internet-based perioperative care programme compared with usual care for gynaecological patients.

DESIGN

Economic evaluation from a societal perspective alongside a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised controlled trial with 12 months of follow-up.

SETTING

Secondary care, nine hospitals in the Netherlands, 2011-2014.

PARTICIPANTS

433 employed women aged 18-65 years scheduled for a hysterectomy and/or laparoscopic adnexal surgery.

INTERVENTION

The intervention comprised an internet-based care programme aimed at improving convalescence and preventing delayed return to work (RTW) following gynaecological surgery and was sequentially rolled out. Depending on the implementation phase of their hospital, patients were allocated to usual care (n=206) or to the intervention (n=227).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was duration until full sustainable RTW. Secondary outcomes were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), health-related quality of life and recovery.

RESULTS

At 12 months, there were no statistically significant differences in total societal costs (€-647; 95% CI €-2116 to €753) and duration until RTW (-4.1; 95% CI -10.8 to 2.6) between groups. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for RTW was 56; each day earlier RTW in the intervention group was associated with cost savings of €56 compared with usual care. The probability of the intervention being cost-effective was 0.79 at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) of €0 per day earlier RTW, which increased to 0.97 at a WTP of €76 per day earlier RTW. The difference in QALYs gained over 12 months between the groups was clinically irrelevant resulting in a low probability of cost-effectiveness for QALYs.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering that on average the costs of a day of sickness absence are €230, the care programme is considered cost-effective in comparison with usual care for duration until sustainable RTW after gynaecological surgery for benign disease. Future research should indicate whether widespread implementation of this care programme has the potential to reduce societal costs associated with gynaecological surgery.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NTR2933; Results.

Coping strategies in anxious surgical patients

Background

Anaesthesia and surgery provoke preoperative anxiety and stress. Patients try to regain control of their emotions by using coping efforts. Coping may be more effective if supported by specific strategies or external utilities. This study is the first to analyse coping strategies in a large population of patients with high preoperative anxiety.

Methods

We assessed preoperative anxiety and coping preferences in a consecutive sample of 3087 surgical patients using validated scales (Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale/Visual Analogue Scale). In the subsample of patients with high preoperative anxiety, patients’ dispositional coping style was determined and patients’ coping efforts were studied by having patients rate their agreement with 9 different coping efforts on a four point Likert scale. Statistical analysis included correlational analysis between dispositional coping styles, coping efforts and other variables such as sociodemographic data. Statistical significance was considered for p < 0.05.

Results

The final analysis included 1205 patients with high preoperative anxiety. According to the initial self-assessment, about two thirds of the patients believed that information would help them to cope with their anxiety (“monitors”); the remainder declined further education/information and reported self-distraction to be most helpful to cope with anxiety (“blunters”). There was no significant difference between these two groups in anxiety scores.

Educational conversation was the coping effort rated highest in monitors whereas calming conversation was the coping effort rated highest in blunters. Coping follows no demographic rules but is influenced by the level of education. Anxiolytic Medication showed no reliable correlation to monitoring and blunting disposition. Both groups showed an exactly identical agreement with this coping effort.

Demand for medical anxiolysis, blunting or the desire for more conversation may indicate increased anxiety. The use of the internet was independent of the anxiety level and the demand of information.

Conclusion

Conversation with medical staff proved to be the most popular coping strategy. Acknowledgment of the division between information-seeking and blunting-like personalities is central to supporting the patient’s individual coping efforts. Internet access may be the easiest way to support coping today.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1492-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Enhanced recovery pathways in abdominal gynecologic surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Enhanced recovery pathways have been widely accepted and implemented for different types of surgery. Their overall effect in abdominal gynecologic surgery is still underdetermined. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to provide an overview of current evidence and to examine their effect on postoperative outcomes in women undergoing open gynecologic surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Searches were conducted using Embase, Medline, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library up to 27 June 2014. Reference lists were screened to identify additional studies. Studies were included if at least four individual items of an enhanced recovery pathway were described. Outcomes included length of hospital stay, complication rates, readmissions, and mortality. Quantitative analysis was limited to comparative studies. Effect sizes were presented as relative risks or as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Thirty-one records, involving 16 observational studies, were included. Diversity in reported elements within studies was observed. Preoperative education, early oral intake, and early mobilization were included in all pathways. Five studies, with a high risk of bias, were eligible for quantitative analysis. Enhanced recovery pathways reduced primary (MD -1.57 days, 95% CI CI -2.94 to -0.20) and total (MD -3.05 days, 95% CI -4.87 to -1.23) length of hospital stay compared with traditional perioperative care, without an increase in complications, mortality or readmission rates.

CONCLUSION

The available evidence based on a broad range of non-randomized studies at high risk of bias suggests that enhanced recovery pathways may reduce length of postoperative hospital stay in abdominal gynecologic surgery.

Potential benefits of acupuncture for enhanced recovery in gynaecological surgery

We aimed to evaluate if acupuncture can improve clinical benefits and patient satisfaction after gynaecological surgery supported by enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programmes. Therefore, we evaluated patient as well as clinical outcome in patient recovery after surgery. We searched MEDLINE, PubMed and EMBASE for articles dealing with post-operative acupuncture and extracted 9 suitable studies. We expected acupuncture to alleviate surgical stress, reduce emetic symptom and accelerate recovery from complications in pre-, intra-, and post-operative phases. Gastrointestinal motility and coldness achieved the full improvement rate of 50%. With regard to post-operative nausea and vomiting, 3 studies showed more than 30% and 1 showed 16% improvement. Sore throat and urinary retention achieved a mild improvement rate of 16% and 12%, respectively. In this study, we demonstrated that acupuncture can enhance recovery in gynaecological surgery without adverse effects and thus should be considered in ERAS.

The cost effectiveness of a tailored, web-based care program to enhance postoperative recovery in gynecologic patients in comparison with usual care: protocol of a stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial

Background

The length of recovery after benign gynecological surgery and return to work frequently exceeds the period that is recommended or expected by specialists. A prolonged recovery is associated with a poorer quality of life. In addition, costs due to prolonged sick leave following gynecological surgery cause a significant financial burden on society.

Objective

The objective of our study was to present the protocol of a stepped wedge cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate the cost effectiveness of a new care program for patients undergoing hysterectomy and/or adnexal surgery for benign disease, compared to the usual care.

Methods

The care program under study, designed to improve convalescence and to prevent delayed return to work, targets two levels. At the hospital level, guidelines will be distributed among clinical staff in order to stimulate evidence-based patient education. At the patient level, additional perioperative guidance is provided by means of an eHealth intervention, equipping patients with tailored convalescence advice, and an occupational intervention is available for those patients at risk of prolonged sick leave. Due to the stepped wedge design of the trial, the care program will be sequentially rolled out among the 9 participating hospitals, from which the patients are recruited. Eligible for this study are employed women, 18-65 years of age, who are scheduled for hysterectomy and/or laparoscopic adnexal surgery. The primary outcome is full sustainable return to work. The secondary outcomes include general recovery, quality of life, self-efficacy, coping, and pain. The data will be collected by means of self-reported electronic questionnaires before surgery and at 2, 6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks after surgery. Sick leave and cost data are measured by monthly sick leave calendars, and cost diaries during the 12 month follow-up period. The economic evaluation will be performed from the societal perspective. All statistical analyses will be conducted according to the intention-to-treat principle.

Results

The enrollment of the patients started October 2011. The follow-up period will be completed in August 2014. Data cleaning or analysis has not begun as of this article’s submission.

Conclusions

We hypothesize the care program to be effective by means of improving convalescence and reducing costs associated with productivity losses following gynecological surgery. The results of this study will enable health care policy makers to decide about future implementation of this care program on a broad scale.

Trial Registration

Netherlands Trial Register: NTR2933; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2933 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6Q7exPG84).

The development of fast-track principles in gynecological surgery

Fast-track is a multimodal strategy aimed at reducing the physiological burden of surgery to achieve an enhanced postoperative recovery. The strategy combines unimodal evidence-based interventions in the areas of preoperative preparation, anesthesia, surgical factors and postoperative care. The advantages of fast-track most likely extend to gynecology, although so far have scarcely been reported. This review summarizes current evidence concerning use of fast-track in general and in gynecological surgery. The main findings of this review are that there are benefits within elective gynecological surgery, but studies of quality of life, patient satisfaction and health economics in elective surgery are needed. Studies of fast-track within the field of non-elective gynecological surgery are lacking. Widespread education is needed to improve the rate of implementation of fast-track. Close involvement of the entire surgical team is imperative to ensure a structured perioperative care aiming for enhanced postoperative recovery.