Auditing the reliability of recall of patients for minor surgical procedures

The aim of this study was to document the reliability of patients in an ENT clinic for the history of previous operations and to investigate the effect of asking more detailed questions. 162 Patients were questioned using one of two questionnaires, followed by examination. The results of the survey call in question the reliability of the history of previous surgery, particularly of procedures performed in childhood or regarded as minor. Thirty-eight patients did not admit to having undergone dental extraction under general anaesthetic until directly questioned. No male patients admitted to genitourinary surgery unless directly questioned. Four out of 84 patients did not admit to tonsillectomy until directly questioned and a further 5 patients were discovered to have undergone tonsillectomy only by examination, despite direct questions. In conclusion, this study illustrates the importance of direct questioning and highlights the poor reliability of some patients in revealing surgical procedures under general anesthetic which may be regarded as trivial.