Effect of stress ball use before cholecystectomy surgery on surgical fear, anxiety and comfort of patients: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Thinking about surgery generally causes fear and anxiety among patients. These negative feelings may affect the healing process. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a stress ball on surgical fear, anxiety and comfort among patients undergoing cholecystectomy. Method This randomized controlled study was performed with 90 patients from 03 April to 30 November 2024 in the preoperative waiting unit of an operating room in a public hospital. The intervention group received stress balls before surgery, and the control group received no intervention. The participants were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. Data were collected before and after the intervention via the Patient Description Form, Surgical Fear Questionnaire, Visual Analog Scale-Anxiety (VAS-A) and General Comfort Questionnaire. The data were analysed via the SPSS version 27.0 program. Descriptive statistics, t tests, Pearson chi-square tests, and stepwise multiple linear regression were applied, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results In terms of the measures taken after the stress ball intervention, patients in the intervention group had significantly lower surgical fear (t = 8.607; p < 0.001) and anxiety (t = 10.776; p < 0.001), whereas the general comfort level was greater (t = 15.765; p < 0.001). When the surgical fear subscales were investigated, the intervention group had lower values for both short- and long-term surgical fear than did the control group (t = 8.480 and 8.613; p < 0.001). Conclusion Stress balls appear to be effective, low-cost, mobile and practical tools for reducing preoperative fear and anxiety while increasing patient comfort. Their integration into routine nursing practice as a nonpharmacological intervention could contribute to better emotional preparedness and potentially improve overall surgical outcomes. Trial registration no NCT06345768 (Registration date:02.04.2024) https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06345768 .