Beliefs about Pain Control in Patients after Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery—A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Introduction: Pain-control beliefs significantly influence the perception of disease and, therefore, may influence the treatment outcomes of surgical patients. The sense of control is related to the sense of agency and the ability to influence one’s own life and environment. This construct may be external or internal. The belief that pain control depends on internal or external factors can depend on many variables. This may be influenced by socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as the source and cause of pain. The aim of the study was the assessment of the relationship between the intensity of postoperative pain and beliefs about pain control in patients after AAA surgery and assessment of the relationship between socio-demographic and clinical variables and beliefs about pain control in patients after AAA surgery. Materials and Methods: The research material consisted of 42 patients aged 57 to 85, hospitalized at the Department of Cardiac Surgery and Vascular Surgery of the University Clinical Center in Gdańsk. The research was conducted from March to September 2020. The study uses a survey technique based on a standardized research tool: the Polish version of the BPCQ (The Beliefs about Pain Control Questionnaire), the NRS (Numerical Rating Scale), and the author’s own questionnaire that allows for the collection of socio-demographic data. Results: The highest intensity of pain was observed in subjects with ruptured AAA H (2) = 6.19; p < 0.05 and subjects who underwent classic surgery Z = −2.95; p < 0.05 (non-parametric Mann–Whitney U test). Subjects with ruptured aneurysms are less convinced about the influence of internal factors on pain control H (2) = 5.26; p < 0.05. The respondents’ conviction about the influence of doctors on pain control increased together with their age, rHO = 0.38, p < 0.05. Conclusion: Pain intensity after surgery did not significantly correlate with beliefs about pain control. Patients with ruptured AAA are less convinced about the influence of internal factors on pain control. With age, patients have more confidence in their doctors than in themselves to control their pain.