Impact of Marking Surgical Incision Size and Location on the Patient's Abdomen During Preoperative Counseling in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery. A Randomized Control Trial.

This study is a prospective, randomized controlled trial examining the impact of marking the patient abdomen at the time of the preoperative visit on patient's satisfaction with scar appearance and symptoms, and pain at the incision site after undergoing minimally invasive gynecologic surgery for benign conditions. We hypothesize that preoperative marking and instruction about incision expectations will improve patient's postoperative satisfaction with scar appearance and symptoms as well as decrease incision site pain compared to traditional preoperative counseling. Patients that will undergo laparoscopic surgical intervention will be identified. The patient will be randomized into two groups: preoperative marking the abdomen versus conventional preoperative counseling. If the patient is randomized to the marking the abdomen group (study group) she will then have the anticipated incision needed to place the trocars during her surgery marked on her abdomen by the surgeon attending physician involved in the patient care during the preoperative counseling visit. If she is randomized to the control group, then she will undergo traditional preoperative counseling by the same team without marking the abdomen. After completed the surgery, information regarding type of surgery, reason for the procedure, estimated blood loss, surgical length, complications, location and size of abdominal incisions made on the patient's abdomen will be collected. Then at the 6 weeks post op visit, patient's satisfaction with the incision scar will be evaluated with a validated patient scar assessment questionnaire form and by one 5 point Likert scale question used in previous studies. The pain at rest at the incision site will be evaluated by a Visual Analog Pain Scale (VAS). Patients will also be asked to evaluate their generalized pain using a modified McGill Present Pain Intensity Scale.