Patient and caregiver perspectives of fluid discharge protocols following pituitary surgery

•Fluid restriction after pituitary surgery is complex but feasible for patients.•Frequent education and fluid monitoring tools aided fluid protocol adherence.•Caregivers and provider accessibility further supported patients after surgery.•Desmopressin use should be limited the week after surgery to prevent low sodium.•Clinical Relevance: Management of patients’ fluid status after pituitary surgery is complicated and requires careful inpatient and outpatient monitoring by patients, caregivers, and care teams. This study identifies facilitators and barriers to fluid discharge protocols that can help improve and standardize post-operative pituitary care to reduce hyponatremia and readmissions after pituitary surgery. Post-operative fluid restriction after transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) for pituitary tumors may effectively prevent delayed hyponatremia, the most common cause of readmission. However, implementation of individualized fluid restriction interventions after discharge is often complex and poses challenges for provider and patient. The purpose of this study was to understand the factors necessary for successful implementation of fluid restriction and discharge care protocols following TSS. Semi-structured interviews with fifteen patients and four caregivers on fluid discharge protocols were conducted following TSS. Patients and caregivers who had surgery before and after the implementation of updated discharge protocols were interviewed. Data were analyzed inductively using a procedure informed by rapid and thematic analysis. Most patients and caregivers perceived fluid restriction protocols as acceptable and feasible when indicated. Facilitators to the protocols included clear communication about the purpose of and strategies for fluid restriction, access to the care team, and involvement of patients’ caregivers in care discussions. Barriers included patient confusion about differences in the care plan between teams, physical discomfort of fluid restriction, increased burden of tracking fluids during recovery, and lack of clarity surrounding desmopressin prescriptions.11Abbreviations: TSS – transsphenoidal surgery; POD – post-operative day; AVP-D – arginine vasopressin deficiency; SIADH – syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone secretion Outpatient fluid restriction protocols are a feasible intervention following pituitary surgery but requires frequent patient communication and education. This evaluation highlights the importance of patient en