The effect of written information before undescended testicle surgery on parental anxiety

Aim: Preoperative parental anxiety is commonly observed and is associated with adverse outcomes in children during the perioperative period.This study aims to evaluate the effect of written informational material provided to the parents of children undergoing surgery for undescended testis on their anxiety levels concerning the anomaly and the perioperative process.Materials and Methods: In this study, the parents of children scheduled for surgery due to undescended testis were consecutively assigned to Group 1 and Group 2. While Group 1 received verbal information only, the parents in Group 2 were given both verbal information and a written brochure.The parents were asked to complete an information form and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-1 (STAI-1) to assess state anxiety.The same STAI-1 was readministered to the same parent three hours postoperatively.Results: The postoperative STAI-1 anxiety scores were significantly lower in Group 2, where written information was provided (p < 0.001).Among parents in Group 2, postoperative STAI-1 scores were significantly lower in those with a university degree (p < 0.001), those residing in urban areas (p = 0.007), and those with prior surgical experience (p = 0.003).Discussion: The written informational brochure was found to be an effective means of communication tool in reducing anxiety among parents of children undergoing surgery for undescended testis.It is recommended that this approach be more widely adopted in pediatric surgical practice.