Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Comparing two pre-operative anxiety scales for predicting postoperative pain in ambulatory surgery: Data from a multicentre observational study
Authors' conclusion
Both instruments demonstrated some ability to predict postoperative pain and might be valuable in the pre-operative setting, with the SFQ showing better performance.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing open inguinal hernia repair in three Portuguese ambulatory surgery units, September 2018–March 2020254 completed 12-month follow-up
- Participants
- 296 patients
- Comparison
- Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ) vs Anxiety Numeric Rating Scale (ANRS)
- Primary endpoint
- Pre-operative anxiety and postoperative pain, Global Surgery Recovery Index and patient satisfaction
- Follow-up
- 24 h, 7 days, 3 months and 1 year
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Pre-operative anxiety score and prediction of postoperative pain
| Group | Value | Cutoff acute/chronic pain | Optimal cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFQ | mean 21.6 (SD 15.8) | 20/24 | |
| ANRS | mean 3.7 (SD 2.5) | 4 |
Value
SFQmean 21.6 (SD 15.8)
ANRSmean 3.7 (SD 2.5)
Cutoff acute/chronic pain
SFQ20/24
ANRS— not stated in the abstract
Optimal cutoff
SFQ— not stated in the abstract
ANRS4
Further findings
Postoperative outcomes, SFQ ≥21 (subgroup) · all time points
- SFQ ≥21 had worse postoperative outcomes at all time points
- P < 0.03
Independent predictors of high pre-operative anxiety
- Younger age, female sex, BMI <30 and pre-operative pain score ≥4
Original publication
Comparing two pre-operative anxiety scales for predicting postoperative pain in ambulatory surgery: Data from a multicentre observational study. Eur J Anaesthesiol Intensive Care. Published 30 March 2026. doi:10.
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