Do anxiety traits predict subjective short-term outcomes following prolapse repair surgery?

Studies conducted in orthopedic surgery have suggested that patients with anxiety have less symptomatic improvement following surgery than those without. We hypothesized for this study that patients with anxiety traits experience less symptomatic improvement following pelvic organ prolapse surgery than patients without.

All patients presenting for prolapse repair surgery were offered enrollment in this prospective cohort study. Prior to surgery, subjects were asked to complete the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory 20. Subjects were also asked to list up to five goals related to the outcome of surgery for goal-attainment scaling. At the 6-8-week postoperative visit, subjects were asked to repeat the STAI and PFDI questionnaires and respond to the single question tool assessing Patient Global Impression of Improvement. Subjects were also asked to rate on a Visual Assessment Scale how well preoperative goals were met. All three questionnaires were repeated at >12 weeks following surgery.

A total of 32 patients with anxiety trait and 58 without were recruited. Preoperatively, the mean STAI-T was 45.0 (± 7.2.) and 27.7 (± 4.9) for subjects with and without anxiety; PFDI 20 scores were 96.1 (± 48.8) and 94.7 (± 57.5), respectively. At 12+ weeks postoperatively, the mean PFDI-20 for subjects with anxiety was 31.3 (± 20.9) and 30.3 (± 27.9) (p = 0.22) for those without.

We did not find the anxiety trait to be a predictor of subjective outcomes following pelvic organ prolapse surgery.