"Both My Body and My Spirit are Incomplete": Care Needs and Difficulties Experienced by Patients with Amputation

Abstract

Introduction: It is frequently performed for reasons such as amputation, circulatory system problems, accidents, cancers, infections and surgical interventions due to congenital anomalies, and it affects individuals psychosocially. This research was conducted to better understand individuals' amputation experiences and care needs. Methods: Descriptive phenomenological type research, one of the qualitative research designs, was conducted with 13 participants between November 2023 and January 2024. Results: 10 of the participants are male, 9 are married, 11 do not use prosthesis, and the average age is 54.4. Six themes were obtained in the thematic analysis: "Physical effects", "Socioeconomic effects", "Adaptation and coping", "Emotional effects", Amputation perception" and "Prosthesis Perception". Most of the participants are dependent in their daily living activities. Post-amputation body image impact, emotional difficulties such as loss and helplessness, and feelings of social isolation and dependency have affected many people. Participants frequently emphasized the importance of support systems such as family and healthcare professionals. In particular, receiving support from family members played an important role in the adaptation process of individuals after amputation. Almost all of the participants perceived amputation negatively. However, it was noted that participants using prosthesis used more positive expressions. Many of the participants talked about their desire to use a prosthesis and their hope that the prosthesis would have a positive impact on their lives. Conclusion: Amputation is an important surgery performed due to acute or chronic health problems and affects individuals biopsychosocially. Perioperative preparation and care processes and support systems have a great impact on individuals' ability to adapt to living with an amputated limb. The application of prostheses that make life easier for individuals, gaining new skills and the rehabilitation process are other factors that will facilitate adaptation.

Keywords

• Patient experiences
• Amputation
• Nursing care
• Home Care

Supporting Institution

The research has no funding.

Ethical Statement

The authors state that this research has been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for experiments involving humans.

Thanks

We would like to thank the patients who participated in the study for their candid shares.

“Bedenim de Ruhum da Eksik”: Ampütasyon Deneyimi Olan Hastaların Bakım Gereksinimleri ve Yaşadığı Güçlükler

Abstract

Amaç: Ampütasyon, dolaşım sistemi sorunları, kazalar, kanserler, enfeksiyonlar ve doğumsal anomalilere bağlı uygulanan cerrahi girişimler gibi nedenlerle sıklıkla yapılmakta ve bireyleri psikososyal olarak etkilemektedir. Bu araştırma, bireylerin ampütasyon deneyimlerinin ve bakım gereksinimlerinin daha iyi anlaşılması amacıyla yapılmıştır. Yöntem: Nitel araştırma desenlerinden tanımlayıcı fenomenolojik tipteki araştırma Kasım 2023- Ocak 2024 tarihleri arasında 13 katılımcı ile yapılmıştır. Bulgular: Katılımcıların 10’u erkek, 9’u evli, 11’i protez kullanmıyor ve yaş ortalaması 54,4’tür. Tematik analizde “Fiziksel etkiler”, “Sosyoekonomik etkiler”, “Uyum ve baş etme”, “Duygusal etkiler”, Ampütasyon algısı” ve “Protez Algısı” olmak üzere altı tema elde edilmiştir. Katılımcıların çoğu günlük yaşam aktivitelerinde bağımlıdır. Ampütasyon sonrası yaşanan beden imajı etkilenimi, kayıp ve çaresizlik gibi duygusal zorluklar, sosyal izolasyon ve bağımlılık duygusu birçok kişiyi etkilemiştir. Katılımcılar sıklıkla aile ve sağlık uzmanları gibi destek sistemlerinin önemini vurgulamıştır. Özellikle aile üyelerinden destek almak, bireylerin ampütasyon sonrası uyum sürecinde önemli bir rol oynamıştır. Katılımcıların tamamına yakını amputasyonu olumsuz algılamıştır. Bununla birlikte protez kullanan katılımcıların daha olumlu ifadeler kullandığı dikkat çekmiştir. Katılımcıların birçoğu protez kullanma isteklerinden ve protezin yaşamlarını olumlu etkileyeceğine dair umutlarından bahsetmiştir. Sonuç: Ampütasyon akut veya kronik sağlık sorunları nedeniyle yapılan ve bireyleri biyopsikososyal olarak etkileyen önemli bir ameliyattır. Bireylerin ampütasyonlu bir ekstiremiteyle yaşamaya uyum sağlayabilmesinde perioperatif hazırlık ve bakım süreci ve destek sistemlerinin etkisi büyüktür. Bireylerin yaşamını kolaylaştırıcı protezlerin uygulanması, yeni beceriler kazandırılması ve rehabilitasyon süreci uyumu kolaylaştıracak diğer faktörlerdir.

Keywords

• Ampütasyon
• Hasta Deneyimleri
• Hemşirelik Bakımı
• Evde Bakım

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