The Effect of Hand Massage on Anxiety and Comfort of Bariatric Surgery Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Upon admission to the General Surgery clinic, patients were apprised of the study's objective, and their written and verbal agreement was acquired. Prior to the preoperative hand massage, the Patient Information Form, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Short Form General Comfort Questionnaire (SGCQ) were administered to the patients in the general surgery clinic's patient room via face-to-face interviews. The patient rooms were single-occupancy, naturally lit, windowed, calm, quiet, and located within the clinic. Immediately before surgery, classic massage techniques including petrissage, friction, and kneading were applied to both hands for 10 minutes using baby oil on the palms, backs of the hands, and fingers. The hand massage was performed while the patient was in bed. The application lasted approximately 25 minutes. After the hand massage, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and General Comfort Scale-Short Form (SGCQ) were administered to the patients as post-test.