[Effect of patient's choice of type of anesthesia or postoperative pain management].
BACKGROUND
Recently, informed consent is important for anesthesia. However, type of anesthesia or of postoperative pain management has been rarely selected by the patient in Japan. We performed a questionnaire survey about the choice of each procedure.


METHODS
We studied 104 patients who were to undergo elective surgery between September and December 2005. After the date of the surgery had been scheduled, we informed the patient about each method and offered a choice of method in the anesthetic consultation clinic. On the day before the operation, we obtained the patient's consent. The questionnaire survey was done in post-anesthetic clinic several days after the operation.


RESULTS
With regard to anesthesia choice, 36 (70.6%) of the 51 patients chose general anesthesia. Forty-eight patients (94.1%) replied that the anesthesia method choice satisfied them. Forty-eight patients (94.1%) were satisfied with anesthesia. With regard to postoperative pain management choice, 38 (71.7%) of the 53 patients chose epidural anesthesia. Forty-nine patients (92.5%) replied that anesthesia method choice satisfied them. Forty-eight patients (90.6%) were satisfied with anesthesia.


CONCLUSIONS
Offering choice of each method led to the patient's understanding and increased the rating of satisfaction with anesthesia. Increase in opportunity for having the anesthetic consultation was effective to obtain better patients understanding about the choice of each procedure.
Nakahashi
Kazuyoshi
K
Department of Anesthesiology, Nara Prefectural Mimuro Hospital, Nara.
Kuzumoto
Naoya
N
Iwata
Toshio
T
Furuya
Hitoshi
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires