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Women who have undergone mastectomy : their experiences making the decision about breast reconstruction : a qualitative study

University of British Columbia

This study was designed to explore post-mastectomy women's decision-making experience in relation to their choosing or refusing breast reconstruction. The literature review clearly illustrates a lack of knowledge about the factors that influence breast reconstruction decision-making. A phenomenological approach was used to guide this qualitative study. Data were collected via a series of semi-structured interviews from 16 women who had consulted a plastic surgeon regarding breast reconstruction. Of these women 13 underwent breast reconstruction and 3 refused this option. The women ranged in age from 32 to 64 years. Twelve women were married and lived with their partners, one was single, and the remaining three had been married but now lived alone. Most of the women had children. Decision-making in these women was characterized by an intuitive style as opposed to a logical, systematically-sequenced decision style endorsed by traditional decision theorists. Each woman demonstrated her own unique style of decision-making. The implications of this study focus on the critical need of post-mastectomy women to be thoroughly assessed, given relevant breast reconstruction information and have follow-up support during their breast reconstruction decision-making process. The emphasis in nursing education should be directed at educating nurses about the importance of wholeness, knowledge of the factors influencing a woman's choice regarding breast reconstruction and the necessity for understanding the decision-making process itself. Nursing research can play a valuable role in furthering our knowledge about the complex concept of wholeness, the catalytic effect of information on women's behavior with regard to breast reconstruction decision-making, and the significance of intuitive decision-making in relation to breast reconstruction.

Text

2010-06-14

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/25726

Nursing

University of British Columbia

Graduate