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Abstract

Background: Preoperative anxiety is common among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and can negatively affect perioperative outcomes. Psychological preparation, including structured counseling, has emerged as a promising strategy to reduce anxiety, yet limited high-quality evidence exists in the cardiac surgical population.
Objective: To assess the impact of structured preoperative counseling on reducing anxiety levels in patients scheduled for elective CABG surgery.
Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted over 12 months at a tertiary care hospital in Lahore. A total of 128 patients scheduled for first-time elective CABG were enrolled and randomized into intervention (n=64) and control (n=64) groups. The intervention group received a 45-minute structured counseling session by a clinical psychologist in addition to standard preoperative care, while the control group received routine care only. Anxiety levels were measured before and after the intervention using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S). Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Baseline anxiety scores were comparable between groups (intervention: 51.8 ± 7.1; control: 50.9 ± 6.8). Post-intervention, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in anxiety (38.6 ± 6.4; p < 0.001), whereas the control group had a minimal, non-significant change (49.2 ± 6.9; p = 0.065). Between-group comparison of post-intervention scores was also statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Structured preoperative counseling significantly reduced anxiety levels in patients undergoing CABG. Incorporating psychological interventions into routine surgical preparation may enhance overall patient care and surgical outcomes.