Patient-preferred Aromatherapy Versus Placebo For Reducing Preoperative Anxiety In Patients Undergoing Eye Surgery

Patient-preferred Aromatherapy Versus Placebo For Reducing Preoperative Anxiety In Patients Undergoing Eye Surgery - The RELAAC Randomised Controlled Trial

This study looks at whether aromatherapy (scent chosen by the patient), is better than routine care, at reducing preoperative anxiety before eye surgery.

Inclusion Criteria:

• mental capacity for informed consent
• undergoing elective ambulatory eye surgery (including Phacoemulsification, Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS), Extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and vitrectomy).
• surgery only under Monitored Anaesthesia Care (MAC)3
• surgical duration less than 45 minutes

Exclusion Criteria:

• anosmia
• allergy to aromatherapy oil
• asthma
• allergic rhinitis
• psychiatric disease
• altered mental state
• lack of mental capacity
• active infection
• pregnancy
• patient or surgeon refused participation