(The New Atlantis) – Today, the number is around 60 percent. Even patients scheduled for major surgery at a hospital, and destined for what is called “planned admission,” often come to the operating room directly from home.

With roughly half of all surgical patients suffering from preoperative anxiety, the problem has caught the attention of researchers. Some studies suggest that the associated rise in blood pressure and pulse worsens postoperative outcomes; others have shown a higher incidence of postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting in anxious patients, as well as delayed recovery and prolonged hospital stay. (Read More)