Woman experiencing gynecologic surgery: coping with the changes imposed by surgery

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Psychosocial Oncology
• Qualitative Health Research

Background:

• Gynecologic surgeries significantly alter a woman's body and sense of self.
• Understanding women's subjective experiences is vital for holistic patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore women's feelings and perceptions following gynecologic surgery.
• To analyze how women experience bodily and personal changes post-surgery.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study using Symbolic Interactionism and Grounded Theory.
• Individual interviews conducted with 13 women who underwent various gynecologic surgeries.
• Grounded Theory's comparative analysis technique used for data interpretation.

Main Results:

• Two emergent categories: 'Perceiving a different body and feeling as a different person' and 'building the meaning of mutilation'.
• Women developed new meanings, altering self-perception and social interactions.
• Surgery-induced changes prompted reflection on relationships, body function, and identity.

Conclusions:

• Participants felt like different women, experiencing mutilation concretely (organ loss) and abstractly (social identity, female functionality).
• Multidimensional nursing care is essential to identify needs extending beyond the physical.
• Addressing psychosocial needs is critical for recovery and well-being after gynecologic procedures.