A Study on Uterine Leiomyoma Patients' Experience of Total Hysterectomy

자궁근종 환자의 자궁적출경험

This study is designed to describe and analyze the experiences of hysterectomy. It also attempts to develop the practical theory of their experiences and thus suggest a fundamental frame that can help nurses broaden their clinical understanding of hysterectomy patients and take better care. The data was collected through interviewing the selected subjects. The subjects were five hysterectomy patients. They were interviewed at first hand by this researcher and recorded under their permissions. Each interview took one hour or two hours per interviewer. The data was collected through the interview. The method of "the Ground Theory" by Strauss & Corbin (1990) was used for data analysis. A total of 129 concepts were extracted from the data analysis. which were classified into 27 subcategories through reanalysis. The subcategories were grouped under 12 higher categories. During the process of the data analysis the following three propositions repeatedly appeared. (1) The higher importance of sexual life and pregnancy, the greater the patients' despair. The support system was not satisfied. The closed defense intensified their despair. They felt that the operation result was out of control. (2) The lower the importance of sexual life and pregnancy, the lesser the patients' despair. The support system proved to be highly satisfactory. As a result more favorably. (3) The lower physical change, the lesser importance of pregnancy. the lesser the patients' despair, the patients' thought turned out to be more positive, which, in turn, left the patients the less despaired. As a results the patients accept the operation result more favorably.