Study On Pre-operational Decision-making Process And Post-operational Recovery Experience In Hospital Of Patients Undergoing Abdominal Hysterectomy

BackgroundAs a basic gynecological operation, hysterectomy has been applied to clinical practice for centuries, relieving pains from patients suffering from gynecological diseases, especially benign uterine diseases. Many doctors and nurses home and abroad have made a lot of studies on hysterectomy. While most researchers in our country adopt quantitative research methods to study the effects of hysterectomy on patients from their own professional standpoints, their counterparts abroad widely use qualitative research approaches to study the feelings of the patients and their spouses about hysterectomy, thus helping readers understand the patients more deeply.This study attempted to apply qualitative research methods to explore the pre-operational decision-making process and post-operational hospital recovery experience of the patients who have abdominal hysterectomy because of benign uterine diseases.Objectives1. To describe pre-operational decision-making process and psychological state of the research subject, and analyze the factors that influence the decision-making process.2. To describe the post-operational recovery experience in hospital of the research subject3. To study the enlightenment of the subjects' decision-making experience and post-operational recovery experience in hospital to clinical practice.MethodsQualitative research method was conducted in this study. Eight patients with benign uterine diseases undergoing abdominal hysterectomy were chosen as research subjects. In-depth interviews, participant observation and the Zung self-rating anxiety scale were used for purpose of data collection. The final results were obtained through analysis and synthesis of the obtained information.Results1. The pre-operational decision-making processes for eight patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy because of benign uterine diseases comprise:â‘ getting information about the disease;â‘¡Trying conservative treatments;â‘¢Making the final decision of hysterectomy. The final decision results from comprehensive consideration of different factors including severity of disease, childbirth status, recommendations from medical professionals, social support and patient's job.2. Patients showed negative, contradictory and positive psychological states in pre-operational decision-making process. Patients in negative psychological state represented senses of unfairness, uncertainty, anxiety and fear. Patients undergoing uterus removal operation exhibited contradictory feeling when it came to decide whether to keep cervix or not. Patients in positive psychological state were mainly characterized by expectation for surgery.3. Patients' post-operational hospital rehabilitation feelings include negative and positive aspects. Negative feelings include: pain, situational low self-esteem, grief and regret; while patients with positive feelings showed happiness in the smooth rehabilitation progress.Conclusion1. As for the patients with benign uterine diseases, there are many uncertainties in their decision-making before hysterectomy. Since the medical professionals, the patients and their families are all subjects in the decision making process, all of them should urgently have more mutual understanding and make more common efforts to make a scientific decision.2. Recovery of the patients need supports from both medical professionals and families. Supports from their spouses are indispensable mental power. Consistent effective supports from both medical professionals and families can improve the recovery of the patients.