• Natalie Fahey, Vimal Patel, and Gail Rosseau.
• NorthShore Neurological Institute, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
• World Neurosurg. 2014 Dec 1;82(6):e671-5.

ObjectiveEndoscopic transsphenoidal surgery has become the most commonly performed surgical procedure for pituitary tumor removal. As such, there are many patient-oriented educational materials on the technique available online for members of the public who desire to learn more about the surgery. It has been recommended that educational resources be written to the national average reading level, which in the United States is between sixth and seventh grade. This study assesses the reading level of the educational materials currently available online for endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery and determines whether these resources are written at a suitable comprehension level for most readers.MethodsSixteen patient educational resources describing endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery were identified online and assessed using 4 standard readability assessments.ResultsPatient educational resources written for endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery are written far above the recommended reading level of sixth grade.ConclusionsThe online educational resources written for patients about endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery are above the recommended reading level for patient education materials. Further revisions to simplify these resources on endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery are needed to ensure that most patients can comprehend this important material and make informed decisions about their health care.Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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