Postoperative Experiences After Dental Treatment Under General Anesthesia in People Living With Alzheimer's Disease: A Descriptive Study With Caregiver and Staff Reports

AIMS: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of people living with Alzheimer's disease (AD) undergoing dental treatment under general anesthesia, to summarize peri-recovery challenges reported by healthcare staff, and to describe caregiver-reported postoperative experiences at three time points. The occurrence of postoperative delirium or hallucinations was also descriptively examined. METHODS: In this single-center descriptive study, postoperative information was obtained through structured telephone contacts with caregivers and relevant clinical staff at three time points (immediate recovery, 2 days, and 2 weeks). Responses were analyzed using inductive content analysis and summarized descriptively. RESULTS: Participants (n = 14) were elderly and predominantly in the moderate to late stages of AD, with substantial dependence on caregivers. Staff-reported observations indicated that agitation and behavioral disturbance during emergence and early recovery were the most prominent challenges. Resistance to care with monitoring devices was also noted. Caregivers reported increased pain, agitation, and care demands within the first 48 h following general anesthesia. By one week, most caregivers reported physical recovery and behavioral improvement. No documented cases of postoperative delirium or hallucinations were identified. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory descriptive study, dental treatment under general anesthesia in people living with AD was followed by short-term postoperative behavioral and physical challenges that generally improved within one week. Given the small sample size and descriptive design, findings should be interpreted cautiously.