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PubMed · 8974513

Body image changes associated with surgery.

C Galpin
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Abstract

The concept of body image is an increasingly important factor which should be considered by both the surgical and perioperative nurse when caring for patients undergoing surgery. The body is the most visible and material part of oneself and occupies a central part in an individual's perception of self. Any surgery by its very nature is an invasion upon the body and will invariably cause temporary or permanent changes, some of which are not anticipated or only emerge after the patient has been discharged. Alteration of the body's structure disturbs a person's perception of his/her integrity and can often create a threatening situation.

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Body ImageHumansPerioperative NursingSurgical Procedures, OperativeJournal ArticleReview

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BibTeXRIS

C Galpin. 1996. Body image changes associated with surgery.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8974513/

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[Body representation in the relation with the self after mastectomy].

This research aimed to understand how the mastectomized woman represents her body in the relations with herself. Social representations were used as a theoretical-methodological reference base. Ten mastectomized women were interviewed at their homes on the seventh day after leaving the hospital and once a month during four postoperative months. The contents of the body representation to the self converged towards four meaning units: a) mutilated bodies, the perception of which was demonstrated in difference ways; b) feeling of impotence at different times in the postoperative period; c) pain and limitation, mainly at the beginning of recovery; d) care with the body. It could be understood that, for the women, the beginning of self-care took the form of an attitude that was developed in practices reflected and taught as a continuous process after the surgery. The perception of the body/constitution/mind/spirit relation permeated every moment of their existence. The results offer important elements for reflection in relation to the assistance to mastectomized women.

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