[The healing process following gynecologic laparoscopy: data on the significance of psychological factors]

It is known that patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery can be discharged from hospital sooner and their reconvalescence is achieved faster than after laparotomy. Beside the medical judgement of the healing process it is also important to assess the length of time needed for the patients to feel themselves completely cured and be free of complaints. The data on the subjective judgement of the healing process provided by 335 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery are analyzed retrospectively here. The aim of the study was to assess how anxiety as a personality trait might influence the healing process and also if there is any connection between anxiety, clinical diagnosis and laparoscopic findings. Anxiety was measured by Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The estimated average healing time is 29.8 days (appr. 4 weeks), but patients with diagnostic and/or operative laparoscopy felt themselves free of complaints after 18.9 days (appr. 3 weeks) on the average. The duration of the healing process is independent of the laparoscopic findings and the type of procedure. There is a strong correlation between the anxiety level and the healing process. The average level of anxiety trait was 47.99 +/- 9.50. Anxiety level was the highest in the group of patients operated on for pelvic pain (mean = 51.21). There was no serious organic alteration in the small pelvis in 37% of the cases. One year after the operation 11.3% of the patients did not feel themselves cured and 17.6% had complaints. These data emphasize the role of anxiety and that of psychological factors in the etiopathogenesis and treatment of gynecologic diseases, especially in chronic pelvic pain and infertility or sterility.