Facing the Knife, Finding the Spirit? A Study of Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES) Scores in Romanian Surgical and Non-Surgical Patients.

: Spirituality is increasingly seen as a key component of patient-centered care, especially in serious illness or surgery. However, its role among surgical patients in Eastern Europe remains underexplored. : To assess daily spiritual experiences among surgical patients compared to healthy individuals in the Bucovina region (northeastern Romania). : This observational case-control study included 102 participants (51 surgical patients and 51 healthy controls), recruited between March 2023 and April 2024. Participants completed the validated Romanian version of the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (DSES). : Surgical patients reported significantly higher mean DSES scores (M = 66.27, SD = 16.40) than healthy individuals (M = 55.06, SD = 12.81; < 0.001). Higher scores were also associated with female gender ( = 0.002), older age, and oncological conditions. Widowed and highly educated participants showed a trend toward higher spirituality, though it was not statistically significant. : Surgery may intensify spiritual experiences, possibly as a coping response to perceived risk. Addressing spiritual needs in perioperative care-particularly among women, older adults, and oncology patients-could enhance holistic care and improve patient well-being.