Submucous resection: is it a simple procedure?

With the need to cut costs in the health care system, there has been a rapid increase in the number of surgical procedures performed on an outpatient basis. It is therefore important that patients have enough information to enable them to cope at home. To determine the informational needs of patients undergoing several surgical procedures and examine their postoperative course, a telephone survey was conducted. The results from one group, those undergoing a submucous resection (SMR), stood out. When compared with the 292 patients in the overall study, the 33 SMR patients complained of considerably more discomfort, tiredness, and nausea. Sixty percent of these patients were not satisfied with the information they received. Most would have liked more information about how they would feel postoperatively and how they could cope with their various concerns and problems. The teaching materials and approach to postoperative care for these patients may need to be altered.