Efficacy of preanesthetic assessment combined with pain neuroscience education in reducing anxiety, stress, and pain in elective hysterectomy : A randomized controlled trial protocol

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Elective abdominal hysterectomy is often accompanied by high preoperative anxiety and stress, which can exacerbate postoperative pain. Objectives To determine whether the addition of pain neuroscience education to standard preanesthetic evaluation reduces preoperative anxiety and perceived stress and decreases postoperative pain among women undergoing elective total abdominal hysterectomy. Methods This single-center randomized controlled trial will enroll 62 adult female patients. Participants will be randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to the intervention group—standard preanesthetic assessment and pain neuroscience education—or the control group—standard preanesthetic assessment alone. Primary outcomes (pain on the Visual Analog Scale [VAS], anxiety on the Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI], and total score on the Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]) will be assessed at three time points: preoperatively, 1 hour postoperatively, and 8 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes will include the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) score and the requirement for rescue analgesia. Expected results We anticipate that integrating pain neuroscience education with standard preanesthetic evaluation will reduce anxiety and stress, decrease postoperative pain intensity, and improve overall recovery in women undergoing elective hysterectomy. Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05435508.