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Family recovery after vascular surgery
1Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
Heart & Lung : the Journal of Critical Care
|September 1, 1990
Summary
Families coping with major vascular surgery often use "containment" to manage the crisis, defining the situation narrowly. This pattern, while reducing immediate disruption, leads to poor recovery outcomes like inadequate risk management and increased family conflict.
Area of Science:
- Medical Sociology
- Family Health
- Surgical Recovery
Background:
- Major vascular surgery presents significant challenges for family coping and recovery.
- Understanding family responses is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess family coping mechanisms during and after major vascular surgery.
- To explore the relationship between family coping patterns and recovery outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A 3-month study observing 21 families.
- Combined quantitative family measures (Family APGAR, FIRM, COPES) with qualitative grounded theory.
- Assessed family responses and recovery over time.
Main Results:
- "Containment" emerged as a key coping strategy, involving narrow problem definitions and avoidant behaviors.
- Situational factors, including healthcare provider focus on surgery, reinforced containment.
- Containment was linked to poor risk factor management, isolation, and family conflict during recovery.
Conclusions:
- The "contained" coping pattern, while initially reducing disruption, negatively impacts long-term recovery and risk management.
- Developing awareness of the underlying chronic disease can diminish containment but may increase family conflict.
- Integrating qualitative and quantitative data provides a comprehensive understanding of family coping dynamics.