Individuals who undergo removal of an acoustic neuroma are usually apprehensive 
in spite of the intrinsically benign nature of the disease. Fears surrounding 
the experience are related to the real risks involved in surgery near the brain 
and the complications which can ensue. The intensity of the patients' feelings 
of anxiety and uncertainty might be decreased if nurses were aware of and 
attended to the informational needs of these patients. In order to describe the 
informational needs of acoustic neuroma patients, a retrospective survey of 21 
subjects who had had removal of such a tumor six to eighteen months previously 
was carried out. The survey determined: (1) the type of information patients 
received preoperatively and postoperatively (2) the type of information patients 
wanted (3) the type of problems experienced postoperatively and (4) the length 
and severity of the problems if they occurred. Content analysis indicated that 
the majority of subjects experienced tiredness, depression, headache, and 
dryness of eyes and mouth in the postoperative and convalescent phases. The 
actual illness experience persisted much longer than the subjects had expected. 
Subjects expressed explicit informational needs related to self-management after 
the surgery. The implications for nursing care will be discussed and the 
recommendations for an interdisciplinary patient education programme will be 
outlined.