Patientsʼ Perception of Regional Anesthesia at a University Hospital

Measurement of patient satisfaction as an outcome of regional anesthesia and analgesia: A systematic review

“…38 A surgeon's preference may affect the patients' preference of anesthetic choice, because 25% of patients decided on regional anesthesia with their surgeon. 39 The importance of psychological factors, especially anxiety, in influencing the degree of patient satisfaction has been shown in several studies. 38,40,41 Strategies to diminish anxiety may lead to improvements in patient satisfaction.…”

“…41 Patients with prior experiences with regional anesthesia tend to prefer regional anesthesia for future anesthetics. 39,40,42,43 Patients without any prior surgical experiences tend to prefer general anesthesia, in part, due to concerns regarding intraoperative awareness. 42 Kuusniemi IS, interscalene; IV, intravenous; NA, not available or not specified; ND, no significant differences between groups; PCA, patient-controlled analgesia; PCEA, patient-controlled epidural analgesia; PCIA, patient-controlled interscalene analgesia; POD, postoperative day; RT, randomized trial; SA, spinal anesthesia; SC, subcutaneous; SD, standard deviation; SEM, standard error of mean; THA, total hip arthroplasty; TKR, total knee replacement; TURP, transurethral resection of the prostate.…”

“…40,44 Preliminary data showed that 37% of patients surveyed noted that needle insertion for regional anesthesia was "uncomfortable" and 22% were uncomfortable during surgery. 39 Adequate perioperative sedation may be an important factor for patient satisfaction with and acceptance of regional anesthesia in part by attenuating intraoperative anxiety. 40 Use of benzodiazepine premedication has been shown to decrease intraoperative anxiety and significantly improve patient satisfaction.…”

Anesthesiologists’ perception of patients’ anxiety under regional anesthesia

“…As a result, most patients would have a similar block if needed in the future. However, fewer patients (18%–20%) still experience some degree of pain and discomfort during the block procedure, 29 possibly due to differences in patients’ perception of pain, or practitioners’ experience. This may explain the reluctance by some anesthesiologists to perform regional anesthesia.…”