Women’s Experiences following Emergency Peripartum Hysterectomy at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya. A Qualitative study.

Abstract

Background Women who undergo emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH) are at greater risk of experiencing severe negative psychosocial sequelae. However at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya and much of Sub-Saharan Africa, these women are not routinely followed up to explore these experiences. This study sought to explore women’s experiences and coping strategies following EPH St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, Kampala, Uganda. Methods This qualitative study was based on in-depth interviews of women who had undergone EPH at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya EPH between January 2015 to August 2018. Out of 66 women who had undergone EPH during this period, 18 were purposively selected and interviewed between August to December 20018. All the information obtained was audio-recorded, transcribed and then analyzed in three phases of pre-analysis of intense reading, exploration and comparison and then interpretation. Results These women disclosed feelings of loss of womanhood, Uncertainty about the future, Joy for being Alive, and professional abandonment. Their coping strategies were living in denial, believing in God and acceptance. Conclusion Women experience severe negative psychosocial sequelae following EPH therefore routine ongoing psychotherapy should be offered to these women until full acceptance is achieved.