The purpose of this study was to document patients' responses (n = 246) to intraoperative care and to find out whether or not their opinions (n = 158) changed with time. Another goal was to develop a patient-based scale for continuous systematic evaluation. The data were collected by a structured questionnaire in two phases in 1993: first at the end of the patients' hospital stay, and then after a few weeks at home. The following themes were covered in the questionnaire: biological-physiological, experiential, cognitive, functional, ethical, the characteristics and competence of nursing professionals, and environmental. Statistical analysis suggested that the patients were satisfied with their intraoperative care. Problems occurred mainly in cognitive and experiential perspectives, such as the need for continuous access to information and coping with the anxiety related to the impending surgery. It also emerged that special attention must be paid to keeping the patient warm in the operating theatre and to looking after emergency patients, younger patients, and patients who only remain in the operating department for a short period of time. The patient's evaluations of the standards of care tended to be less critical in hospital than they were a few weeks after discharge.