Non-Pharmacological Psychotropic Measures for Surgery Under Local Anaesthesia.

Purpose: surgery under local anaesthesia can be a stressful experience for patients. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of a non-pharmacological psychotropic measures (NPTM) on the anxiety and stress levels of individuals undergoing ophthalmic surgery. This is the first study to use a bilateral haptic NPTM for this purpose.

Methods: In this clinical interventional case-control study, we assessed objective and subjective stress parameters immediately pre- and postoperatively. We randomly assigned patients to one of two groups: an intervention group with NPTM (n = 70) and a control group (n = 68).

Results: When comparing objective parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, and sweat secretion), there were no significant differences between the two groups pre- and postoperatively (p ≥ 0.05). Subjectively, 79% of patients in the intervention group perceived a positive effect from the NPTM (p < 0.01). Patients undergoing eye surgery for the first time described a positive effect significantly more often (p = 0.027).

Conclusions: Our study results show that subjectively perceived anxiety and stress during eye surgery is significantly improved by using a bimanual NPTM. The majority of the patients experienced a positive effect on their wellbeing, particularly those undergoing eye surgery for the first time, although there was also a positive effect for patients who had previously undergone eye surgery. While the haptic NPTM used in this study has a positive impact on patients' perception of ophthalmic surgery, all patients undergoing surgery under local anaesthesia may benefit from this approach.