The Mission

The mission of Surgiance is to guide patients and their families through the entire surgical journey, turning uncertainty into confidence before the operation and into clarity during recovery. Today, patients are given a surgical date and are often left to navigate the weeks that follow largely on their own, with limited time for thorough explanations and a flood of conflicting information online. This may lead to severe anxiety surrounding complications and as a result, suboptimal physical and mental preparation. After surgery the gap returns: once discharged, patients and their caregivers are often unsure what is normal, what to do, and when to seek help. Surgiance bridges these gaps by converting a passive, fearful patient into an active, prepared participant, from diagnosis through recovery. Working alongside the hospital care team, we combine verified clinical education, clinically supervised support connected to the patient's care team, and holistic pre-habilitation (nutrition, sleep, and mental readiness) with structured guidance for recovery at home, including clear signs of when to contact the hospital. A shared portal keeps loved ones, who are often the primary caregivers, informed and equipped to help at every step. Our mission is to ensure every patient enters the hospital feeling confident, informed, and physically prepared, and leaves it with a clear plan for a safe recovery. In doing so, patients master their surgical journey, while hospitals benefit from better-prepared patients, fewer avoidable errors, and fewer unnecessary calls and visits.

The Challenge

Surgical anxiety is a common and largely unaddressed vulnerability in the surgical care pathway, and its effects reach well beyond the patient. Estimates of its prevalence vary widely with how it is measured, with a 2025 meta-analysis reporting that it affects 60-80% of surgical patients (Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 2025). Within the local Dutch population this number sits around 40% of surgical patients. In a prospective study of 6,469 surgical cases at a US medical center, about one in five patients reported high anxiety the day before surgery, yet only 9.5% of them had a documented anxiety diagnosis, suggesting that minimizing this anxiety is not formally captured in routine care. High anxiety was independently associated with same-day case cancellation, and an estimated 22% of cancellations were attributable to it (Ramishvili et al., 2026). Patients' most common worries were complications during surgery, complications afterwards, and pain, showing that fear extends beyond the waiting period into recovery. This burden may be greater for expat patients navigating an unfamiliar healthcare system. The impact also reaches patients' loved ones, who often become the primary caregivers after surgery but receive little guidance, creating a stressed and anxious home environment. After discharge, patients and their caregivers manage recovery at home, often unsure what is normal and when to seek help, which leads to avoidable anxiety, missed recovery steps, and unnecessary calls or emergency visits. Hospitals rarely have the capacity to continuously guide patients and their families through the weeks before and after an operation, leaving a critical gap in the care pathway, particularly at the local level in the Netherlands.

The solution

Surgiance is a digital companion that guides patients and their families through the entire surgical journey, from diagnosis to recovery, turning uncertainty into preparation and confidence. Working alongside the hospital care team, it is organized around three phases and one shared layer. Prepare. Once a surgery date is set, patients receive verified, procedure-specific education in plain language, including what to expect on the day and afterwards. Smart fasting and medication timers, configured with local hospital protocols (via approval by the care team) that show patients and their caregivers exactly when to stop eating or take specific medication, aiming to reduce cancellations caused by preparation errors. A pre-habilitation program tracks sleep and daily movement through native phone health apps and offers procedure-specific nutrition guidance. Patients see a Readiness Score that reflects their progress, designed to encourage rather than judge, shifting their mindset from fearful anticipation to proactive preparation. A language and orientation layer translates Dutch medical terminology and explains local hospital processes for international patients. Operate. A clear day-of plan tells the patient and their family what will happen, where to go, and what to bring, so surgery day is predictable rather than frightening. Recover. After discharge, patients follow a structured recovery plan with daily check-ins, guidance on what is normal, and practical support for nutrition, mobility, and lifestyle changes. Surgiance never diagnoses. It explains what is expected and escalates warning signs to the hospital, clearly telling patients when to make contact. Across all phases: Shared Care. A secure companion portal, controlled by the patient's consent, lets designated loved ones understand the procedure, follow preparation and recovery milestones, and receive actionable guidance on supporting the patient, for example preparing the home for recovery. This turns an anxious family into an informed support system. Clinically supervised support, connected to the hospital's care team and external expert help will be available by chat, voice, or video, gives patients a low-threshold place to raise worries before they escalate. For hospitals, Surgiance aims to result in fewer cancellations from preparation errors, fewer avoidable calls and visits, better-informed patients, and stronger recovery adherence. In a pilot we would measure prep-related cancellations, patient-reported anxiety on a validated scale, calls to the pre-operative desk and ward, unplanned post-discharge contacts, as well as patient and caregiver satisfaction. The platform is designed with GDPR and healthcare data security in mind, so patients decide what family members, the care team and potential externals can see.