Analysis of anxiety and pain in patients undergoing immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery or unilateral cataract surgery

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare preoperative anxiety and intraoperative pain between the first and second cataract surgeries in patients who underwent immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS). This retrospective study was conducted between June 20, 2023, and September 20, 2023, at Korea University Guro Hospital. A total of 170 cataract surgeries was included, and 130 eyes underwent ISBCS. Clinical records, including patients’ intraoperative pain score (visual analog scale [VAS] for pain, 1–10 points) and patients’ preoperative anxiety score (VAS for anxiety (VASA), 1–10 points), were investigated. Also, correlations between clinical factors and pain scores were analyzed. The pain score did not significantly differ between the first and second surgeries in ISBCS patients (2.51 ± 1.16 vs. 2.43 ± 1.36 points) (P = 0.692). However, the anxiety score recorded before the second eye surgery was significantly lower compared to that recorded before the first eye surgery. (3.32 ± 1.68 vs. 2.31 ± 1.29 points) (P < 0.001). Among the clinical factors, only the anxiety score was significantly correlated with the pain score (P = 0.013). We suggest ISBCS may serve as a beneficial strategy for a better surgery experience, reducing patients’ anxiety during surgery.