Does a previous surgical experience interfere on psychic stress in patients submitted to major surgery?
OBJECTIVE
to evaluate the impact of stress in patients undergoing major surgeries under general anesthesia, relating their physical and psychic reactions to the different stages of stress.


METHODS
we studied 100 adult patients of both genders, who were divided into two groups: Group 1 - 22 patients without experience with surgery; Group 2 - 78 patients previously submitted to medium and major surgery. To investigate the stress, we used the Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults, developed by Lipp, the day before the procedure and two days and seven days after the operation. The comparison of groups with respect to gender, pain, and percentage of stress were performed using the Chi-square test, and for the age variable the Student's t test was used. Differences were considered significant at p<0.05.


RESULTS
the groups were not homogeneous as for the overall percentage of stress on the three measurements. G1 had decreased postoperative stress, whilst in G2 it increased. Psychological symptoms of stress prevailed in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
previous surgery reduced preoperative stress but did not affect postoperative emotional disorders.
Department of Surgery, UFMG.
Luiz Ronaldo
LR
Alberti
Federal Center of Technological Education.
Márcia Rodrigues
MR
Daian
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, UFMG.
Andy
A
Petroianu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult