Spine Preoperative Anxiety Research Taskforce: Development of a Multidisciplinary Team to Investigate an Understudied Phenomenon in Spine Surgery

Group leaders: Gligor Gucev, MD, EdD, and Arif Musa, MD, MS

Project summary:

Preoperative anxiety (PA) before spine surgery is experienced by virtually all patients. But, only recently has the relationship between PA and poor patient outcomes become clear. For example, highly anxious patients respond differently to anesthesia, consume more pain medication, and take longer to recover. However, there are no consensus guidelines to manage PA in spine surgery. This group believes that by building a multi-disciplinary team of spine surgeons, anesthesiologists, and psychiatrists, we will have a more robust and multi-disciplinary understanding of this complex issue and be well-suited to develop and implement management of PA in spine surgery.

The Spine Preoperative Anxiety Research Taskforce (SPARTA) aims to develop and maintain a multi-institution, multi-disciplinary team of spine surgeons, anesthesiologists, and psychiatrists for the purposes of studying and managing PA among patients undergoing spine surgery and other procedures.

Accomplishments:

HONORS AND AWARDS
2020 – Detroit Medical Center QuESST Research Day Medical Student Poster Award – 3rd place 
2020 – Wayne State University Medical Student Research Fellowship 
2019 – Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group Clinical Research Showcase Podium Presentation Award – 2nd place
2019 – American Society of Anesthesiology Annual Meeting Featured Abstract Award

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
1. Tajran J, Musa A, Movahedi R, Wang JC, Safani D, Cooke C, Farah G, Hussain SF, Lynch B, Gucev G. Views of the American Society of Anesthesiologists regarding assessing and reducing preoperative anxiety in the pediatric population. Rom J Anaesth Intensive Care. In press. Accepted 9 May 2022. 
2. Musa A, Wong AK, Wang JC, Cooke C, Tajran J, Chen D, Engel R, Wheaton M, Safani D, Movahedi R, Gucev G. A survey of current preferences of plastic surgeons regarding the assessment and reduction of preoperative anxiety. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2021;45(4):1929-1931. doi: 10.1007/s00266-021-02154-1. PMC ID: 8986481.
3. Musa A, Movahedi R, Wang JC, Safani D, Cooke C, Hussain SF, Tajran J, Hamid S, Gucev G. Assessing and reducing preoperative anxiety in adult patients: a survey of 3,661 members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. J Clin Anesth. 2020;65. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2020.109903. PMC ID: 8376290.
4. Musa A, Wang J, Acosta F, Movahedi R, Melkonian A, Shahbazi A, Safani D, Gucev G. Attitudes of spine surgeons regarding management of pre-operative anxiety: a cross-sectional study. Clin Spine Surg 2019;32(1):E1-6. doi: 10.1097/BSD0000000000000705. PMID: 30148730.

PODIUM PRESENTATIONS
1. Brown S, Weseman L, Musa A, Wang JC, Movahedi R, Safani D, Cooke C, Gucev G. Preoperative anxiety management in orthopaedics: preliminary findings of a survey of orthopaedic surgeons. Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group Second Annual Clinical Research Showcase at Wayne State University School of Medicine. 2020 Dec 2. Detroit, MI.
2. Musa A, Wang JC, Acosta FL, Movahedi R, Safani D, Cooke C, Hussain SF, Tajran J, Hamid S, Gucev G. Assessing and reducing adult preoperative anxiety: a survey of 3,661 members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group First Annual Clinical Research Showcase at Wayne State University School of Medicine. 2019 Dec 3. Detroit, MI.3. Musa A, Wang J, Acosta A, Movahedi R, Safani D, Hussain S, Tajran J, Gucev G. The Assessment and Management of Adult Preoperative Anxiety: A Survey of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Anesthesiology Annual Meeting. 2019 Oct 19-23. Orlando, FL.
4. Pendi A, Wang J, Acosta F, Movahedi R, Safani D, Shahbazi A, Melkonian A, Gucev G. Attitudes of spine surgeons regarding management of pre-operative anxiety in spine surgery. Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Annual Forum. 2017 Sept 14-16. Las Vegas, NV.
5. Pendi A, Wang JC, Acosta Jr FL, Movahedi R, Safani D, Shahbazi A, Melkonian A, Gucev G. Pre-operative anxiety management in spine surgery. 11th International Regional “Stress and Behavior” Neuroscience and Biopsychiatry Conference (North America). 2017 Jun 22-24; Miami Beach, FL.

POSTER PRESENTATIONS
1. Tajran J, Musa A, Movahedi R, Wang J, Safani D, Cooke C, Farah G, Hussain S, Lynch B, Gucev G. How do anesthesiologists prefer to reduce preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients? Wayne State University Medical Student Research Symposium. 2022 Jan 28. Detroit, MI. Online.
2. Ahmed A, Musa A, Naji A, Wang J, Safani D, Movahedi R, Gucev G, Ghanimeh MA, Zuchelli T. Attitudes of gastroenterologists regarding preoperative anxiety prior to colonoscopy: a cross-sectional study. Am J Gastroenterol 2021;116:S265-S266. doi: 10.14309/01.ajg.0000774812.a4. American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting & Postgraduate Course. 2021 Oct 22-27. Las Vegas, NV.
3. Musa A, Wong A, Tajran J, Chen D, Wang J, Engel R, Cooke C, Safani D, Movahedi R, Wheaton M, Gucev G. A survey of current preferences of plastic surgeons regarding the assessment and reduction of preoperative anxiety in adult patients. American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Annual Meeting. 2021 Feb 3-28. Online.
4. Tajran J, Musa A, Farah G, Wang JC, Movahedi R, Safani D, Cooke C, Hussain SF, Hamid S, Gucev G. How can we reduce preoperative patient anxiety in the pediatric population? A survey of the American Society of Anesthesiologists? Anesthesiology Annual Meeting. 2020 Oct 2-5. San Diego, CA. 
5. Musa A, Wang JC, Movahedi R, Safani D, Cooke C, Hussain SF, Tajran J, Hamid S, Gucev G. Assessment and management of adult pre-operative anxiety: a survey of the anesthesiologist perspective. Detroit Medical Center 9th Annual QuESST Symposium. 2020 Apr 24. Detroit, MI, USA.
6. Musa A, Wang JC, Movahedi, Safani D, Cooke C, Hussain SF, Tajran J, Hamid S, Gucev G. Assessment and management of adult preoperative anxiety: a survey of the anesthesiologist perspective. Wayne State University Medical Student Research Symposium. 2020 Feb 7. Detroit, MI, USA.
7. Musa A, Wang J, Acosta A, Movahedi R, Safani D, Hussain S, Tajran J, Gucev G. The Assessment and Management of Adult Preoperative Anxiety: A Survey of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Anesthesiology Annual Meeting. 2019 Oct 19-23. Orlando, FL, USA.
8. Hussain SF, Musa A, Wang JC, Acosta FL, Movahedi R, Melkonian A, Shahbazi A, Safani D, Gucev G. Maintenance of a multi-disciplinary team to study preoperative anxiety in spine surgery: a two-year case study. Detroit Medical Center 8th Annual QuESST Symposium. 2019 Apr 24. Detroit, MI, USA.
9. Pendi A, Wang JC, Acosta FL, Movahedi R, Safani D, Shahbazi A, Melkonian A, Gucev G. Pre-operative anxiety management according to spine surgeons: current management preferences. Anesthesiology Annual Meeting. 2018 Oct 13-17. San Francisco, CA, USA.
10. Pendi A, Wang J, Acosta F, Movahedi R, Safani D, Shahbazi A, Melkonian A, Gucev G. Preoperative anxiety management according to spine surgeons: current management preferences. 30th Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention. 2018 May 24-27. San Francisco, CA, USA.
11. Pendi A, Wang JC, Acosta FL, Movahedi R, Melkonian A, Shahbazi A, Safani D, Gucev G. Development of a multi-disciplinary team to study preoperative anxiety in spine surgery: a case study. Science of Team Science 2018 Conference. 2018 May 21-24. Galveston, TX, USA.
12. Pendi A, Wang J, Acosta F, Movahedi R, Safani D, Shahbazi A, Melkonian A, Gucev G. Pre-operative anxiety management in spine surgery. 31st Annual Sebastian K. Littmann Research Day. 2018 Mar 2. Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
13. Pendi A, Wang J, Acosta F, Movahedi R, Safani D, Shahbazi A, Melkonian A, Gucev G. Pre-operative anxiety management in spine surgery. 30th Annual U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress. 2017 Sept 16-19. New Orleans, LA, USA.

MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION
1. McCune T, Brown S, Weseman L, Musa A, Wang JC, North TT, Charters MA, Cooke C, Movahedi R, Safani D, Gucev G. How do orthopaedic surgeons manage preoperative anxiety? A cross-sectional study. 
2. Ahmed A, Musa A, Naji A, Wang J, Safani D, Movahedi R, Gucev G, Ghanimeh MA, Zuchelli T. Attitudes of gastroenterologists regarding preoperative anxiety prior to colonoscopy: a cross-sectional study. 
3. Musa A, Brown S, Wesemann L, Wang JC, North TT, Charters MA, McCune T, Cooke C, Movahedi R, Safani D, Gucev G. Orthopaedic surgeons proactively assess and manage patient anxiety about COVID-19: a cross-sectional study.

MEDIA MENTIONS
1. Wayne State University School of Medicine Website – Medical student’s latest preoperative anxiety study receives accolades from American Association of Plastic Surgeons. 2021 May 20. 
2. Wayne State University School of Medicine Website – Cross-sectional survey shows most anesthesiologists manage patient anxiety before procedures. 2020 Jun 15. 
3. Wayne State University School of Medicine Website – Student surveys spine surgeons regarding preoperative anxiety in patients; more than 65 percent don’t assess it formally. 2018 Nov 11.