If you or your loved one is preparing for a surgery, then this podcast is for you. As we talk about the role of patient information in your recovery.

Have you ever played the game of spoto, while we are  travelling in the car, we play this game of spoto. The game is about spotting a yellow care and calling out or in my family’s case screaming SOPTO. Basically, the game is about realising that if you are looking for something; you have more chances of finding it. If you are looking for a yellow car, you will find a yellow car, or when you buy a new car, suddenly you start seeing the same make or model frequently on the road. If we are mentally attuned to something we tend to find it. Also, if we come to see or hear of something frequently, then we can not help but notice its presence or absence.

Hence in conversations with patients or just by being around,  when they are talking to other patients or staff or relatives,  I often notice or my ears pick up snippets like, “never fully recovered”, “why am i not better now”, “why did they not tell me that it's gonna be this bad”, “I am trying not to complain but”, “i guess I just have to put up with it”.

The question I find myself often pondering it could this be prevented. We all know we can never assume anything is fail proof, but is there something we can do to help prepare the patients better for what is to come. Then there is always a risk of running into people who will react first and act later in a more sensible manner, if they act at all.  But in most cases, there is a need of patient education, to a level that is not feasible in the current healthcare system. I would love your view on this, if you have a different view, experience or perspective.

Let me give you some research on patient education.

Brazilian Journal of Anaesthesiology, published in 2018 an article stating  Preoperative Education Reduces Preoperative Anxiety in Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgery: Usefulness of the Self-Reported Beck Anxiety Inventory.(1)

The link to English version of the article is in show notes. The researchers conclude “Patient orientation in the preoperative setting should be the standard of care to minimize patient anxiety prior to surgery, especially for patients with cancer.”

Another article added from International journal of health science in 2018 said Effects of Pre-Operative Individualized Education on Anxiety and Pain Severity in Patients Following Open-Heart Surgery.(2)

And the authors concluded

“The individualized education is given to patients before surgery was found to have potential effects on their postoperative pain levels.”

There are several such articles, in summary they conclude, patients will benefit, in some instance greatly benefit from education before surgery.

What do you think? We love our health professionals when they take time and sit down and talk to us, especially in case of surgery. But you see you are not just your knee or hip. You are not just your tumor or the disease that is affecting you. You are you, hence when a patient comes  into the hospital they don't only bring their disease or injury. They bring themselves.

If you enter the hospital from the emergency section, everything else is put aside and the whole focus becomes to save your life, till you are brought out of danger and what in our field of work we call stabilized. If you come in for surgery, there is more focus on the whole person, or at least that is my hope.

Now it is not only before surgery, but before discharge too that you need information and education. I do not know which part of the world you live, here in Australia, depending upon your surgery, you go home the same day, best effort is made for a family or friends to be present to take you home and preferably stay with you for the first 24 hrs. The more complex your condition you need more care, more support and more education, some of these educations should have been imparted before the surgery itself. Some places this happens, but how personalised this information is I am unsure of it. And not only you but your family needs this info, then again there are so many people who live alone and either have no one to care for them or no one close by or freely available to care for them.

Science daily has an article published that says 

 “Americans' circle of close confidants has shrunk dramatically in the past two decades and the number of people who say they have no one with whom to discuss important matters has more than doubled, according to a new study by sociologists at Duke University and the University of Arizona.” (3)

again the link is in the show notes that can be found at www.thestoryofyourhealth.com.

So you can see how much people need to know how to look after themselves before and after surgery. Here is another research published in International Journal Of Nursing Studies, in 2018 on the topic. 

Discharge education delivered to general surgical patients in their management of recovery post discharge: A systematic mixed studies review (4)

Conclusions

The quality of discharge education has an influence on patient participation in their management of care post discharge. Assessing patients’ preparedness for discharge is an essential component of discharge planning process. The presentation, timing and frequency of discharge education was important in the delivery of information. Tailored education reflecting the learning needs of patients using multiple media delivered in varying doses enhanced patients’ overall knowledge for successful management of recovery post discharge. The scarcity of recent literature in discharge education indicates that the quantity of evidence regarding discharge education intervention in general surgery patients is low and further work in this area needs to be undertaken.

So if you are having a surgery or your loved one is having a surgery, you need some information. I am unsure if you have ever heard of the topic presented, 20 years as a nurse I am ever so mindful of the whole person the patient is.   From my experience and understanding I will divide it into 3 phases, Phase 1 from the day you get the date of surgery to the day of surgery. Phase 2 the day of surgery to first 72 hours, and phase 3 72 hrs to 6 was minimum. Now if you ask me how do you know, my answer is I have come up with this classification based on my knowledge, experience and education. If something similar exists else where I am at this moment unaware of it. As I have mulled over how to improve my coaching program “Recovery From Surgery''. I have tried my best to find the best way forward. This is how I have categorised the learning, of course there is so much more to it than a just listing of 3 phases. Why not come and join the master class I am running, the master class is free and full of information.

So let me summarize and give you a word of warning here. Many research had one aim, that one aim was to reduce patient anxiety, you know it, anxiety is related to poor patient prognosis and affects pain perception.

We all have some anxiety and it is really normal to have anxiety related to our surgery. I myself had 2 surgeries, for the first one I was barely conscious to take in much, but certain things were so highlighted that even as I drifted in and out of consciousness, I remember them. 2nd was a planned surgery and lessons I learned from it and of course my own nursing experience and my involvement in care of family and friends.

My aim of this podcast is to make you more aware that you need to be more proactive in the story of your health, in the story of your recovery.

And here I will warn you against too many unwanted google searches that lead to confusion and increase anxiety. Your surgeon or your hospital will send you information about the surgery, what to be expected and how to prepare and care for surgery. If you want to be more proactive, you can apply to attend the master class, just check the show notes for more details. Because there is more to you than just your illness and that is what I teach, a mindful holistic recovery. I remember this one particular night shift and this one particular patient, in her late 60s or early 70s. Gorgeous looking women, who was at this late at night going what in slang we call bonkers . No amount of pacifying was working, she was angry, tired, in pain and most of all disappointed. You see she had knee replacement. She was recently retired, full of life, ready for the next adventure. How do I know, because I was there in flesh as she decided to unleash that anger on me. She screamed this is not how it was meant to be. Apparently one of her golf buddies had her knee replaced and was up and about in few days. None of my friends had this problem. “So why do I have it”. Best thing she could have done was asked me that. After she had finished her emotional outburst, I offered to get her a cup of tea, I brought her a biscuit too. I am a person who needs midnight sustenance, so I bought her a biscuit too. Then after a little bit of chit chat I proceeded to answer her question “So why do I have it”. I then left her to mull over her thoughts, but next morning she was a changed person, she understood that every case is unique. The more she understood her own body and her own mind and then curated her effort to meet those needs they will have a more favourable outcome.

Hope this podcast has served you as it was meant too.

If  you like today's episode please comment and share the episode. Apparently people have to really search on apple podcast to find me, my podcast is in the pit of undistinguished, so please be my knight in the podcast world, like and leave a comment, so apple may think me worthy to be listened too.

I will bring you more information. If you have any question or any specific topic you want me to cover, come and join the fb community, or please email me.

Till next time please take care my friend.

Much Love

Aruna