Perioperative Nursing Care for Patients with Prostate Cancer Undergoing Outpatient Bilateral Orchiectomy under Local Anesthesia

Abstract

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men and represents a significant public health problem. Its incidence increases with age and has a substantial impact on patients’ quality of life across physical, psychological, and social domains. For patients with advanced prostate cancer, the standard treatment approach is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which plays a crucial role in suppressing disease progression. Bilateral orchiectomy is an effective form of permanent hormonal suppression, capable of rapidly and continuously reducing serum testosterone levels to the castrate levels. At present, bilateral orchiectomy can be performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia, allowing patients to be discharged on the same day, thereby reducing hospital length of stay and alleviating the financial burden on the healthcare system. However, the outpatient nature of this surgery presents unique challenges, as patients remain conscious throughout the procedure, have a limited postoperative observation period, and are required to continue self-care at home. Consequently, nurses play a vital role in providing comprehensive patient care, encompassing preoperative risk assessment and physical and psychological preparation, intraoperative monitoring to ensure patient safety and early detection of complications, as well as postoperative education, follow-up, and psychosocial assessment. Such holistic nursing care is fundamental to ensuring patient safety, facilitating recovery, and optimizing long-term quality of life.