The Association Between Mindfulness And Post-Operative Pain In Gynecologic Oncology Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy.

10079 Background: Studies demonstrate an inverse relationship between mindfulness and chronic pain. However, the relationship between mindfulness and acute post-operative pain has not yet been thoroughly investigated. The objective of this study is to determine if there is an association between pre-operative level of mindfulness and post-operative pain outcomes in women undergoing minimally invasive hysterectomy. Methods: For this prospective cohort study, women planning to undergo laparoscopic or robotic hysterectomy were prospectively recruited at the gynecologic oncology outpatient clinic at our institution. Baseline mindfulness was assessed at the pre-operative clinic visit using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Post-operative pain, using the Visual Numeric Rating Scale (VNRS-11), and opiate pain medication usage were evaluated via chart review and post-operative surveys completed at 1 to 2 week and 4 to 6 week post-operative clinic visits. Results: One hundred twenty four women completed the 6 week post-operative follow-up period, of which 80% were undergoing surgery for malignancy. Baseline mindfulness was inversely correlated with post-operative pain as measured by both the average and highest reported VNRS-11 values during the inpatient stay (r = -0.21, p = 0.019; r = -0.21, p = 0.016). At the 1 to 2 week post-operative visit, self-reported pain score was also inversely correlated with pre-operative mindfulness score (r = -0.24, p = 0.009). This relationship was not observed at the 4 to 6 week post-operative visit (r = -0.08, p = 0.403). Higher pre-operative mindfulness was also associated with lower opiate usage (r = -0.16, p = 0.077), though this relationship was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Higher pre-operative mindfulness is associated with more favorable post-operative pain outcomes, including lower reported numeric pain scores, in gynecologic oncology patients undergoing minimally invasive hysterectomy. This relationship provides an opportunity to target the modifiable personality characteristic of mindfulness, to improve post-operative pain in women planning gynecologic surgery.