Informational needs of patients who undergo excision of an acoustic neuroma

Individuals who undergo removal of an acoustic neuroma are usually apprehensive in spite of the intrinsically benign nature of the disease. Fears surrounding the experience are related to the real risks involved in surgery near the brain and the complications which can ensue. The intensity of the patients' feelings of anxiety and uncertainty might be decreased if nurses were aware of and attended to the informational needs of these patients. In order to describe the informational needs of acoustic neuroma patients, a retrospective survey of 21 subjects who had had removal of such a tumor six to eighteen months previously was carried out. The survey determined: (1) the type of information patients received preoperatively and postoperatively (2) the type of information patients wanted (3) the type of problems experienced postoperatively and (4) the length and severity of the problems if they occurred. Content analysis indicated that the majority of subjects experienced tiredness, depression, headache, and dryness of eyes and mouth in the postoperative and convalescent phases. The actual illness experience persisted much longer than the subjects had expected. Subjects expressed explicit informational needs related to self-management after the surgery. The implications for nursing care will be discussed and the recommendations for an interdisciplinary patient education programme will be outlined.