Standardized Patient Education in Pituitary Surgery

Protocols are being developed and implemented to ensure the best possible recovery process for patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery, and their impact on patient outcomes is being evaluated. In studies where perioperative protocols-including patient education (verbal and written instruction on dehydration, hyponatremia, adrenal insufficiency, CSF leakage, meningitis, and the signs and symptoms of visual or other neurological disorders)-are implemented, it has been reported that patients' length of hospital stay is reduced, the rate of patients experiencing hyponatremia has decreased, and readmissions have declined (Sanchez-Garavito et al., 2024; Sarris et al., 2021). However, since these studies included protocols covering the entire surgical process-not just patient education-it is difficult to determine whether changes in patient outcomes stem from patient education or from alterations in other parameters within the protocol.

Therefore, in the clinic where this study will be conducted, the effect of patient education on postoperative patient outcomes will be examined by developing an educational material that standardizes patient education, without making any changes to the surgical or pharmacological processes.

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Key information

Conditions

Pituitary Adenoma Brain Diseases Brain Neoplasms Central Nervous System Diseases Central Nervous System Neoplasms Endocrine Gland Neoplasms Endocrine System Diseases Hypothalamic Diseases Hypothalamic Neoplasms Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Neoplasms Pituitary Diseases Pituitary Neoplasms Supratentorial Neoplasms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Admitted for elective surgery due to a pituitary tumor.
Has not previously undergone surgery for the same medical condition.
Has voluntarily agreed to participate in the study.
Has no missing medical data.
Can speak Turkish or understand what is being explained.
Patients aged 18 and older.

Exclusion criteria

Emergency surgery will be performed.
Revision surgery will be performed.
Those who voluntarily decline to participate in the study.
Those with incomplete medical data.
Those who cannot speak or understand Turkish.
Patients under the age of 18.

Treatment and study plan

Standardized Pituitary Training

Other

The standardized educational material to be used with the training group was developed by the researchers through a literature review and includes evidence-based recommendations that patients should follow after pituitary surgery. The educational material and the sources used to create it are included in the appendix. Before providing education to patients in the intervention group, nurses and resident physicians working in neurosurgery will receive in-person training on the rationale and details of the material. Patients will be included in the education program starting from their preoperative hospital admission; the content of the educational material will be explained by a nurse, and a visual copy will be provided to both the patient and their caregiver. Additionally, the material will be posted in a clearly visible location in the patient's room.

Primary outcomes

The total time from admission to discharge for patients who received standardized patient education in transsphenoidal pituitary surgery

Time frame: "From the registration phase through to the end of the 52-week training program"

Secondary outcomes

Complication rates (meningitis, hyponatremia, CSF leak) and rates of unplanned readmission among patients who received standardized training in transsphenoidal pituitary surgery during their hospital stay.

Time frame: From the registration phase through to the end of the 52-week training program

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

AKİF BULUT, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+905468722872

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Uludag University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Impact of Standardized Patient Education on Patient Outcomes in Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2027
Study completion: 2027
First posted: Jun 1, 2026
Registry last updated: Jun 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

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