The Effect of Pre-Operative Distress on the Perioperative Period

Distress is defined as feelings and ideas that lead to unpleasant problems in diseases and treatments. Distress has meanings such as sadness, hopelessness, weakness, fear, excitement, anxiety, panic, depression, indecision and burnout. The pre-operative period is a crisis period for many people. During this period individuals may experience many of the feelings, emotions and ideas that cause distress [1,2]. Fear is the most common cause of distress about surgery. Death, fear that body will be damaged, waking and suffering during surgery, pain, loss of identity and control under anesthesia and loss of organs and tissues are the most common causes of fear. Hospitalization and waiting for surgery, the meaning of the surgery for the patient and lack of knowledge about surgery also cause distress. Being unfamiliar with operating rooms, the idea that attention is not paid to privacy during surgery, postoperative pain and being dependent on others, life conditions being negatively affected, being away from family and friends, inability to provide care to dependents and fear of job loss are other causes of distress [3,4]. The stressful period that starts with telling patients that they will be operated on can negatively affect their disease, care, compliance with treatment, treatment duration, treatment costs and quality of life [1].