Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07237061

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

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

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Cataract Aromatherapy Eye Diseases Lens Diseases Preoperative Anxiety Surgery Vitrectomy

Age range

21 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

National University Hospital Singapore

Singapore

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Aromatherapy

Other

patients chose their preferred aromatherapy scent to be used for at least 30 minutes

Other names: lavender, geranium, lemongrass, sandalwood

Placebo

Other

odorless dry absorbent adhesive patch

Primary outcomes

  1. change in VAS scores for preoperative anxiety

    Time frame: 30-60 minutes

    preoperative anxiety was ranked by the patient on a scale of 0-100 on a visual acuity scale (VAS) measuring 100mm, in the preoperative ambulatory ward, before and after the intervention/placebo was applied for at least 30 minutes. The change in the VAS score at these 2 timepoints was the primary outcome

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National University Hospital, Singapore

Other

Registry information

Official study title

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

Acronym: RELAAC

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Nov 19, 2025
Registry last updated
Nov 19, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.