This study looked at whether a person's emotional personality type affects how they experience pain and how well a regional anesthesia technique works during arm surgery.
We studied patients who underwent wrist or upper arm surgery using an axillary nerve block (a type of regional anesthesia that numbs the arm). Before surgery, patients completed a questionnaire measuring their emotional temperament, including anxious, depressive, cyclothymic, irritable, and other personality traits.
We found that patients with an anxious personality type were more likely to need conversion to general anesthesia during surgery. They also reported higher pain scores after surgery. Patients with depressive traits also experienced higher pain levels. In contrast, some other temperament types reported lower pain levels.
These findings suggest that emotional characteristics may influence how patients respond to anesthesia and pain after surgery. Understanding a patient's temperament before surgery may help doctors better plan anesthesia, provide additional support when needed, and improve overall comfort and safety.
This research supports a more personalized approach to anesthesia care, taking into account not only physical health but also psychological factors.