The Effects of Intra Operative Hand Reflexology for Patients Receiving Out Patient Vein Surgery

The Whiteley Clinic100 enrolled

Overview

This randomised controlled trial aims to compare the effectiveness of hand reflexology received during office based vein surgery, under local anaesthetic on patient's reports of pain and anxiety, compared to usual standard care.

The negative effects of anxiety and pain on surgical recovery are well documented. It is also accepted that distraction can be effective in pain reduction. This randomised controlled trial will explore the effect of intra operative hand reflexology on pain perception and anxiety during office-based surgery under local anaesthetic. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the experimental condition, in which they will receive a hand reflexology during treatment, or control condition in which they will receive usual standard care. Immediate and longer term outcomes will be explored. Eight weeks after surgery, participants will return to the clinic for a follow up appointment. While they are in the waiting area they will be asked to complete a short questionnaire to assess time taken to return to pre surgical levels of functioning, pain experienced in the first four weeks after surgery, severity of venous symptoms and satisfaction with treatment.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

100

Conditions

Pain Anxiety

Interventions

Hand ReflexologyBEHAVIORAL

The hand reflexology will begin in theatre, before the local anaesthetic is administered and will continue until the patient is ready to leave the operating theatre.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 80 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * To be aged between 18 and 80 * To be able to give informed consent * To be receiving, endovenous laser ablation or phlebectomies for the treatment of varicose veins * To have a good understanding of written and spoken English. * To arrive at the clinic with sufficient time before their procedure to give consent and complete the questionnaire (\>20 mins) Exclusion Criteria: -To be aged under 18 or over 80

Locations (1)

The Whiteley Clinic at the Wimpole Clinic

London, London, United Kingdom

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Pain

Participants will complete a numeric rating scale (0 no pain - 10, extreme pain) to assess any painful sensations experienced during treatment

Time frame: In the recovery area, immediately after surgery

Secondary Outcomes

Anxiety

Participants will complete a numeric rating scale(0, no anxiety to 10, extreme anxiety)to assess any anxiety they experienced during treatment.

Time frame: In the recovery area, immediately after surgery

Satisfaction with treatment

Participants will be asked to rate how satisfied they are with the treatment that they have received on a scale of 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied).

Time frame: in the recovery area, immediately after surgery

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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