Dr. Ameen, ENT Specialist in Kuala Lumpur

Dear readers,

I am delighted to present an intriguing paper examining patients’ reflections on their decision-making process regarding major surgery. This study focuses on cases of laryngeal cancer necessitating surgical intervention such as total or partial laryngectomy. Understanding the impact of our decisions and actions before surgery is crucial as they significantly influence both clinical and emotional outcomes. The key points highlighted include:

1 – Patients who had received counseling from the patient association reported a more positive attitude toward surgery.

2 – Among patients after total laryngectomy, those with a university degree had a less positive attitude toward their surgery; this result was not observed in patients after partial laryngectomy.

3 – Among patients after partial laryngectomy, the attitude toward surgery was most positive in those who had experienced shared decision-making.

4 – Those who had wished they could decide together with the physician but where this eventually was not experienced, expressed the most regret toward surgery.

5 – There was no association between attitudes toward surgery and type of surgery (total vs partial laryngectomy) and all other variables tested.

Link for the paper HERE