Perioperative patients are anaesthetised
and subjected to intricate surgical
procedures using highly invasive
equipment and complex technology.
It is understandable, therefore, that
perioperative anxiety is ubiquitous in
patients facing surgical intervention
(Hollaus et al 2003, van Beuzekom &
Boer 2006, Kagan & Bar-Tal 2008).
This anxiety manifests itself in physical
and psychological symptoms ultimately
increasing anaesthetic, surgical and postoperative
risk