Experiences and coping with the altered body image in digestive stoma patients

Abstract

Objective:to describe the coping of stoma patients with the news about the ostomy, as well as to analyze the meaning and the experience of their new bodily reality. Method:qualitative phenomenological study undertaken through semistructured interviews with 21 stoma patients. The analysis was based on the constant comparison of the data, the progressive incorporation of subjects and triangulation among researchers and stomal therapy nurses. The software Atlas.ti was used. Results:two main categories emerge: "Coping with the news about receiving a stoma" and "Meaning and experience of the new bodily reality". The informants' answer varies, showing situations that range from the natural acceptance of the process to resignation and rejection. The previous experiences of other family members, the possible reconstruction of the stoma or the type of illness act as conditioning factors. Conclusions:the coping with the news about the stoma is conditioned by the type of illness, although the normalization of the process is the trend observed in most informants. Nursing plays a fundamental role in the implementation of cognitive-behavioral interventions and other resources to promote the patients' autonomy in everything related to care for the stoma.

Nursing Diagnoses in People with Digestive Stoma and their Association with Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors

“…"Regarding the diagnosis of Disturbed body image (00118)," in addition to being more likely in follow-up care, the multivariate analysis showed that the likelihood of this diagnosis was 2.59 times higher in women than in men. This aspect has been contrasted with the literature consulted, which supports that body modification due to the ostomy requires greater adaptation to the new condition by women (De-Sousa et al, 2014) and suggests the need to develop different strategies by sex, highlighting the role of information (Hueso-Montoro et al, 2016) and psychological support (Di-Pretoro, 2016).…”

City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy Questionnaire Validity and Reliability Assessment on a Croatian Sample

“…In spite of the national preventative measures and programs, the trend of colorectal and rectal cancer together became the third most common cause of death in 2017, with an incidence of 16% in males and 13% in females [3]. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of death in men and women in Europe, with 446,000 newly diagnosed cases each year [4]. According to unofficial data, since there is no register or database of persons with ostomy in the Republic of Croatia, it is estimated that there are about 7500 persons suffering from this condition, which is about 0.2% of the population.…”

Perception of Patients With Intestinal Ostomy in Relation to Nutritional and Lifestyle Changes

“…Professionals and the family have the role of educating for self-care, attending to individual needs, respecting the limitations and arousing the interest of taking care of oneself to obtain a better quality of life. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Individuals with intestinal ostomy are considered to be threatened in performing their daily activities, either because they present feelings of insecurity, limitations or physical incapacity, establishing in their lives significant daily changes. With such changes, illness goes beyond physical illness and diffuses into all dimensions of being, causing discontinuities and empty spaces, which imply reflection of values, priorities and life projects.…”

“…For effective rehabilitation, the subjectivity and the sociocultural aspects that integrate the experiences of the people with the ostomy should be considered. [18][19][20][21] The inability of fecal control associated with the need to use fecal collection devices requires a new way of living. 20 Amongst the changes resulting from surgery for the manufacture of the ostomy, in addition to changes in diet, the interviewees mentioned daily changes that require adaptation to be experienced, among them: domestic tasks, sexuality, sports practice, work, and activities of leisure.…”

“…[18][19][20][21] The inability of fecal control associated with the need to use fecal collection devices requires a new way of living. 20 Amongst the changes resulting from surgery for the manufacture of the ostomy, in addition to changes in diet, the interviewees mentioned daily changes that require adaptation to be experienced, among them: domestic tasks, sexuality, sports practice, work, and activities of leisure. Other studies performed with individuals with ostomies also revealed that the most frequent daily changes are related to the difficulty of returning to work, sexuality and leisure activities.…”