title: National survey on patient's fears before a general surgery procedure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the magnitude of the different causes of anxiety in patients and families, facing surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional multicenter national survey recruiting 1,260 participants between patients and companions, analyzing the impact of 14 areas selected based on scientific publications aimed at the general public, concerning patients and/or companions, focused on concern about surgery. Patient sex, age, type of surgery (minor/major) and expected inpatient or ambulatory surgery were analyzed. For the companions sex and age, and relationship to patient were analyzed. In both cases it was assessed based on a unidimensional scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being be minimal cause for concern and 10, maximum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most prominent have been the fear of the unknown, possible complications, the impact on quality of life, the accuracy of diagnosis and possible malignancy of the disease, as well as anesthesia and pain control. There are significant differences in the involvement of patients and companions; and are also differences by sex and age of the patient; type of surgery (minor/major) and expected hospital admission or not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patient faces surgery with a number of fears that can be reduced with increased information.
authors: Servicio de Cirugía general y Digestivo, Hospital U. Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, España.
authors: Rosa Carmen
authors: RC
authors: Fernandez Lobato
authors: Servicio de Cirugía general y del Aparato Digestivo, Hospital G.U. Morales Messeguer, Murcia, España. Electronic address: victoriano.soria@carm.es.
authors: Víctor
authors: V
authors: Soria-Aledo
authors: Servicio de Cirugía, Hospital U. de Getafe, Madrid, España.
authors: José María
authors: JM
authors: Jover Navalón
authors: Servicio de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital U. Infanta Leonor, Madrid, España.
authors: José María
authors: JM
authors: Calvo Vecino
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005239:Fear; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Acompañantes; Cirugía; Companions; Encuesta; Fear; Intervención; Intervention; Pacientes; Patients; Surgery; Survey; Temor