Cennet Tor KILIÇ, Arife Dilek İÇLİ
Kocaeli Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi - 2026;12(3):311-315
Objective: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), particularly memory impairment, is a common complication following surgery and anesthesia. This study aimed to determine the incidence of POCD after pituitary adenoma excision surgery and to investigate the association between demographic characteristics and POCD. Methods: Ninety-two ASA physical status II-III patients without neurological or psychiatric disorders scheduled for elective pituitary adenomectomy were enrolled after written informed consent was obtained from the patients or their legal representatives. Preoperative cognitive function was assessed using the Standardized Mini-Mental Test (SMMT) or the SMMT for Illiterate Individuals (SMMT-E). General anesthesia was induced with intravenous thiopental, remifentanil, and rocuronium and maintained with total intravenous anesthesia. Cognitive assessments were repeated at postoperative 1, 4, and 24 hours and 1 month. Statistical analyses included the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: POCD was detected in 35.6%, 28.7%, 17.8%, and 11.7% of patients at the postoperative 1st hour, 4th hour, 24th hour, and 1 month, respectively. Total SMMT scores decreased significantly during the early postoperative period and returned to baseline by 1 month. Attention/calculation, recall, and language subscores were significantly lower at the 1st and 4th postoperative hours. Male patients had higher preoperative and early postoperative cognitive scores, whereas POCD occurred more frequently in female patients. Conclusion: POCD frequently occurs during the first 24 hours after pituitary adenoma excision surgery, with cognitive function largely recovering by the first postoperative month.
