Article ; Online: "My body, my choice": A qualitative study of women's mastectomy with flat closure experiences.
2023 Volume 46, Page(s) 419–433
Abstract: This qualitative study aimed to describe and explore the pre and post-mastectomy experiences of women choosing flat closure after a breast cancer diagnosis. Aesthetic flat closure creates a flat contoured chest wall after a mastectomy. There is limited ... ...
| Abstract | This qualitative study aimed to describe and explore the pre and post-mastectomy experiences of women choosing flat closure after a breast cancer diagnosis. Aesthetic flat closure creates a flat contoured chest wall after a mastectomy. There is limited research on women's flat closure experiences. To fill this gap, we interviewed 19 women (Mage = 53, range 31-72) with breast cancer who underwent a bilateral mastectomy with flat closure, examining decision-making, mirror-viewing, and flat closure experiences. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological design, we generated seven themes. Broadly, women choosing flat closure experienced pressure from their clinicians to undergo breast reconstruction. We found flat closure information to be consistently lacking. Mirror-viewing experiences of women obtaining suboptimal flat closure outcomes led to shattered expectations, mirror avoidance, psychological distress, and body image disturbances. Women negotiated their new reality by discovering ways to feel comfortable with their flat bodies. Regardless of surgical outcome, decision satisfaction was high. These findings illustrate the importance of bodily autonomy and supportive healthcare environments for women making flat closure decisions. Providing comprehensive information on all surgical options and addressing post-operative expectations can improve women's decision-making and mirror-viewing experiences and assist women in adapting to their new body image. |
|---|---|
| MeSH term(s) | Female ; Humans ; Mastectomy/psychology ; Breast Neoplasms/surgery ; Breast Neoplasms/psychology ; Body Image/psychology ; Mammaplasty/psychology ; Qualitative Research |
| Language | English |
| Publishing date | 2023-08-11 |
| Publishing country | Netherlands |
| Document type | Journal Article |
| ZDB-ID | 2211449-X |
| ISSN | 1873-6807 ; 1740-1445 |
| ISSN (online) | 1873-6807 |
| ISSN | 1740-1445 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.07.009 |
| Database | MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE |
More links
Kategorien
In stock of ZB MED Cologne/Königswinter
| Zs.A 6252: Show issues | Location: Je nach Verfügbarkeit (siehe Angabe bei Bestand) bis Jg. 2021: Bestellungen von Artikeln über das Online-Bestellformular ab Jg. 2022: Lesesaal (EG) |
Order via subito
This service is chargeable due to the Delivery terms set by subito. Orders including an article and supplementary material will be classified as separate orders. In these cases, fees will be demanded for each order.