ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine if lavender aromatherapy can reduce preoperative anxiety in cataract surgery patients. DESIGN: Single-center prospective randomized placebo-controlled trial. METHODS: Seventy-five patients awaiting cataract surgery were randomized to lavender essential oil or grape seed oil (control) and administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Vital signs were also recorded. FINDINGS: Patients in the lavender group showed greater improvements in self-reported anxiety using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (P = .023, two-sample t test). Compared with the control group, the effects of lavender on the reduction of anxiety were statistically significant when adjusting for age, gender, and baseline scores (P = .012, analysis of covariance). CONCLUSIONS: Lavender aromatherapy reduced anxiety in preoperative cataract surgery patients.