The prospect of having surgery can be a frightening experience for anyone, especially someone who suffers a sensory deficit such as hearing impairment. For the millions of people who are hearing impaired, there are some simple steps that perianesthesia nurses can take to identify hearing problems and to facilitate accurate communications. Such steps on the part of the staff often amount to little more than advance planning, common sense, and genuine caring, but they result in improved patient outcome and profound patient and family gratitude.