Relative Tranquility in Ostomy Patients' Social Life: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Ostomy significantly alters one's elimination pattern and can affect the individual in physiological, psychosocial and spiritual aspects. Over time, the ostomy patient's experience changes and they develop coping strategies to handle the new reality. The aims of this study sought Iranian ostomy patients' main problem, how they deal and the outcome of their efforts to manage that problem in their daily lives.

A qualitative content analysis was conducted involving twenty-seven ostomy patients that were chosen by purposeful sampling and referred to the Iranian Ostomy Association from October 2015 to June 2016.

The mean age of the participants was 55 years, 15 were males, the major cause of ostomy was colorectal cancer and the colostomy was the most common type of ostomy, and nineteen of them between one and twenty years lived with an ostomy. Most of them were married, had bachelor degree and received adjuvant therapy, and few were employed. Guarantee indecisive to maintain a stable life with an ostomy and the possibility of ostomy disclosure unpredictability show relative tranquility in patients' social life.

Because of the ostomy nature, there is not the possibility of full control over life with an ostomy and this issue is causing concerns in their family and social life.