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IMPACT OF THE EFFECTS OF THE RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY IN THE LIFE OF WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER

2016; Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pós Graduação em Enfermagem; Volume: 25; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1590/0104-07072016004520014

1980-265X

Aline Inocenti, Manoel Antônio dos Santos, Edilaine Assunção Caetano de Loyola, Paola Alexandria Pinto de Magalhães, Marislei Sanches Panobianco,

Cancer survivorship and care

This is a descriptive study which aimed to investigate the impact of the effects of reconstructive surgery in the life of women with breast cancer. Semistructured and audiorecorded, interviews were held with 14 women who had had mastectomies, who were registered in a rehabilitation center. Social Representation Theory was used for discussion of the data. Thematic analysis guided the analysis of the data. The categories which emerged from the interviews are related to the way in which the woman sees herself after the reconstruction, and what this meant in her life, and how she perceives its benefits and lives with the resulting limitations. The reconstruction of the breast, in some cases, allowed recovery of self-image and overcoming of the trauma caused by the disease. On the other hand, the postoperative complications gave rise to fear of further loss, fear of compromise in the sexual sphere, and fear in the perception of the reconstructed breast. The health team must offer appropriate information such that the woman may participate in the decisions regarding the operation.