Predictive Factors of Postoperative Pain and Postoperative Anxiety in Children Undergoing Elective Circumcision: A...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Pain Management
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Circumcision for phimosis in children is a common procedure.
• Postoperative pain and anxiety are significant concerns following pediatric circumcision.
• Identifying predictive factors can optimize patient care and reduce distress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify predictive factors for postoperative pain and anxiety in children undergoing circumcision.
• To analyze the influence of surgical technique on pain and anxiety outcomes.
• To explore demographic and clinical predictors of adverse postoperative experiences.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study involving 301 children undergoing elective circumcision.
• Surgical techniques included sutureless prepuceplasty (SP), preputial plasty technique (PP), and conventional circumcision (CC).
• Data collected included demographics, baseline clinical characteristics, preoperative anxiety, postoperative pain (Faces Pain Scale), and behavioral manifestations (Post Hospitalization Behavior Questionnaire).

Main Results:

• Postoperative pain was predicted by surgical technique, absence of siblings, and postoperative complications.
• Postoperative anxiety was predicted by surgical technique, maternal education level, preoperative anxiety, and history of previous surgery.
• The type of surgical technique emerged as a significant predictor for both pain and anxiety.

Conclusions:

• This study identified novel predictive factors for postoperative pain and anxiety in pediatric circumcision.
• Surgical technique, patient background (siblings, prior surgery), and psychological factors (preoperative anxiety, maternal education) are key predictors.
• Further randomized controlled trials are recommended to validate these findings and inform clinical practice.