The Effect of Waiting Time on the Surgical Stretcher in the Operating Room for Urological Surgery on Anxiety and Surgical Fear: A Comparative Cross-sectional Study.

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the effect of operating room waiting time on surgical fear and preoperative anxiety in patients undergoing urinary system surgery.

Design: This study was conducted as a comparative cross-sectional.

Methods: This study was conducted with 150 patients undergoing urinary system surgery at a state hospital in Turkey between December 2023 and July 2024. Data were collected using a Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Visual Analog Scale, and the Surgical Fear Questionnaire at two time points: before entering the operating room (T0) and before being placed on the surgical table (T1). Patients were divided into 2 groups based on waiting time: group A (<30 minutes) and group B (≥30 minutes). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 27.0 at a significance level of P less than .05.

Findings: Patients in groups A and B were similar in terms of descriptive characteristics and T0 assessment. However, at T1 assessment, patients in group B had significantly higher levels of anxiety (P = .002), short-term fear (P = .001), and total fear (P = .001) compared to group A. Waiting time had a significant effect on anxiety (β = 0.637, P = .001), short-term fear (β = 0.788, P = .001), and total fear (β = 0.536, P = .001).

Conclusions: Prolonged waiting time in the operating room significantly increases psychological burden by significantly increasing anxiety, short-term fear, and total fear levels in patients.