Table 1.

Main Characteristics of Participants in the Focus Groups

Patient	Gender	Age, Years	Surgical Indication	Open Surgery/Laparoscopy	Affiliated to a Patients’ Association
Focus group 1. All patients who underwent abdominal or gynaecological surgery with general anaesthesia within the past 4 months
1	Female	>45	Gynaecological	Laparoscopy	No
2	Female	<45	Gynaecological	Open surgery	No
3	Female	<45	Cholecystectomy	Laparoscopy	No
4	Female	>45	Cholecystectomy	Open surgery	No
5	Female	>45	IBD-related	Open surgery	Yes
6	Female	<45	IBD-related	Open surgery	Yes
7	Female	<45	IBD-related	Laparoscopy	Yes
8	Male	>45	IBD-related	Open surgery	No
Focus group 2. All patients who had undergone surgery in the past, and had been recently indicated for abdominal or gynaecological surgery with general anaesthesia (currently in the waiting period)
1	Female	<45	Gynaecological	Laparoscopy	No
2	Female	>45	Gynaecological	Open surgery	No
3	Female	>45†	Colon cancer	Laparoscopy	No
4	Female	<45	Cholecystectomy	Laparoscopy	No
5	Female	>45	Cholecystectomy	Laparoscopy	No
6	Female	<45	IBD-related	Open surgery	Yes

Note: †aged >65 years.

Abbreviation: IBD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis).