title: Postoperative anxiety and depression in patients undergoing thoracoscopic closure of congenital heart defects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thoracoscopic closure of atrial or ventricular septal defect is a new surgical method. The postoperative mental health status of patients treated with this novel approach is presently unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to compare psychological symptoms between patients treated with thoracoscopy and those treated with conventional open heart surgery and to evaluate the effect of perioperative counseling on postoperative psychological symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study, 120 patients were divided into thoracoscopic and conventional open heart surgery groups. All patients received standard preoperative and postoperative nursing care. The thoracoscopic group was randomized into study (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups. The thoracoscopic study group received daily counseling 2 days before and within the first 4 days after the surgery. Psychological symptoms were assessed by Symptom Checklist-90 on day 5 after the surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference in baseline characteristics or Symptom Checklist-90 scores between the thoracoscopic and conventional surgery groups (P > .05) or between the thoracoscopic study and control groups (P > .05). After surgery, the mean scores of somatization, anxiety, depression, and phobic ideation in the thoracoscopic control group were lower than in the conventional surgery group (P < .05). The mean scores of anxiety, depression, and phobic ideation in the thoracoscopic study group were lower than in the thoracoscopic control group (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thoracoscopic closure of congenital heart defects is associated with less postoperative anxiety or depression symptoms compared with conventional open heart surgery. Perioperative counseling in patients undergoing thoracoscopic closure reduces postoperative anxiety or depression symptoms and should be conducted in all patients before the surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qiu-Yang
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Zeng-Shan
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Fu-Yun
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Le-Xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003376:Counseling; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult