Standardized Patient Education in Pituitary Surgery

Protocols are being developed and implemented to ensure the best possible recovery process for patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery, and their impact on patient outcomes is being evaluated. In studies where perioperative protocols-including patient education (verbal and written instruction on dehydration, hyponatremia, adrenal insufficiency, CSF leakage, meningitis, and the signs and symptoms of visual or other neurological disorders)-are implemented, it has been reported that patients' length of hospital stay is reduced, the rate of patients experiencing hyponatremia has decreased, and readmissions have declined (Sanchez-Garavito et al., 2024; Sarris et al., 2021). However, since these studies included protocols covering the entire surgical process-not just patient education-it is difficult to determine whether changes in patient outcomes stem from patient education or from alterations in other parameters within the protocol.

Therefore, in the clinic where this study will be conducted, the effect of patient education on postoperative patient outcomes will be examined by developing an educational material that standardizes patient education, without making any changes to the surgical or pharmacological processes.