The Effect of a Simple Perioperative Video on Maternal Anxiety and Satisfaction Before Regional Anesthesia in a Caribbean Setting: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Anxiety before regional anesthesia and surgery is common among women undergoing cesarean section. Although perioperative education has been shown to reduce this level of anxiety, the optimal form and timing of this intervention are not known. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an educational anesthetic video on reducing anxiety and improving maternal satisfaction in patients scheduled for elective cesarean section under regional anesthesia. Methods: Eighty patients scheduled for cesarean section at a tertiary-level obstetric center were randomized to either an interventional group (viewed an educational video on the evening before surgery) or the control group (no educational video). Both groups received a standard preoperative assessment on the morning of surgery. Anxiety was assessed using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the visual analog scale for anxiety (VAS-A). Maternal satisfaction was assessed using the Maternal Satisfaction Scale Score for Cesarean Section (MSSSCS). Anxiety was assessed at baseline (the evening before surgery) and immediately before surgery. Maternal satisfaction was assessed on the first postoperative day. Patients in the intervention group also had their state anxiety measured immediately after viewing the educational anesthetic video using the VAS-A. Results: Both groups were equally matched at baseline, and a statistically significant reduction in anxiety measured using VAS-A was seen in the intervention group vs. the control group (6 vs. 4.6, p = 0.018). State-trait anxiety measured using STAI, however, was not significantly lower in the intervention vs. control group (44 vs. 46, p = 0.99). VAS-A immediately after looking at the video was also not significantly different (5 vs. 4, p = 0.323) from the control group. Maternal satisfaction was also higher in the intervention group (113 vs. 104.5, p = 0.015). Conclusion: The use of a simple educational anesthetic video may be associated with reduced anxiety and improved maternal satisfaction in patients scheduled for elective cesarean section under regional anesthesia.