Coping with disfigurement/dysfunction and length of hospital stay after head and neck cancer surgery

The purpose of this study is to determine if an individual's use of coping strategies prior to sustaining facial disfigurement/dysfunction is predictive of coping effectiveness after head and neck cancer surgery. The specific aims of the study are as follows: (1) describe the relationship between demographic data, preoperative coping strategies, severity of disfigurement/dysfunction, postoperative healing progress, and length of postoperative hospital stay; (2) describe the relationship between demographic data, preoperative coping strategies, and postoperative coping behaviors; (3) determine the relationship between postoperative coping behaviors and length of hospital stay. The Stress-Coping Model of Scott, Oberst and Dropkin (1980) provides the theoretical framework for this study. The sample consisted of 117 adults who were about to undergo head and neck cancer surgery associated with disfigurement/dysfunction. Zero-order correlations were computed among the variables, including preoperative use of coping strategies, degree of postoperative disfigurement/dysfunction, postoperative coping behaviors, postoperative complications, and length of hospital stay. Multiple regression analyses were conducted on the major outcome variables: length of stay and postoperative coping behaviors. Gender (female), preoperative radiation therapy, preoperative chemotherapy and postoperative problems were found to significantly increase length of stay. The 16 predictors in this study contributed to 56% of the variance in length of stay. Fifteen predictors accounted for 25% of the variance in postoperative coping.