The nurse is providing teaching to a patient with a diagnosis of acromegaly rela

Acromegaly is treated by surgical removal or irradiation of the pituitary tumor. A transsphenoidal or transfrontal surgical procedure is most commonly used. The transsphenoidal route requires the nurse and patient to clean the upper teeth carefully for at least two weeks after the surgery in order to maintain an intact suture line. These procedures do not require shaving of the head or marking of the scalp. Though patients should be educated to monitor for drainage of clear fluid from the transsphenoidal site, drainage should not be observed from the ear following this procedure.