Patient morbidity following oral day surgery - Use of a post-operative telephone questionnaire

Abstract

100 patients attending for day stay surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molar teeth were telephoned at home 24 h post-operatively by their ambulatory care nurse. A structured questionnaire was completed in order to characterise patients' experiences following surgery. 92 questionnaires were analysed, confirming that over half the patients reported feeling 'not very well' after surgery, with pain and swelling the principal complaints. Prescribed analgesic medication was found to be effective, but one third of patients required additional analgesia. Sore throat, drowsiness and sleep disturbance were common post-operative complications. Nevertheless, the majority of patients described their day surgery experience as 'better than expected'. Nurse-led telephone follow up is appreciated by patients and is an effective means of determining patients' overall treatment experience and satisfaction levels following ambulatory surgery. © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.