Emotional Perceptions Influenced by Ostomy

• Autor(a) principal: Cassero, Patricia Aparecida da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2009
• Outros Autores: Aguiar, Joana Ercilia
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Saúde e Pesquisa (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.unicesumar.edu.br/index.php/saudpesq/article/view/1058
• topic: Ostomizado; Percepções; Sentimentos; Ostomates; Perceptions; Feelings.

An ostomy is a surgical process that consists in the extraction of a portion of the digestive pipe (in this case, of the intestine), and in the opening of an external orifice. After the surgery, the emotional state of the patient can suffer important emotional alterations such as anxiety and depression. It happens because of the difficulty to live with a different appearance. The aim of this study was to identify the impact caused by the operations that result in intestinal ostomies in the emotional state and corporal image of the patients. This is a descriptive and exploratory study with qualitative methodological approach. 7 ostomates took part in this research. The number of subjects that participated in the research was delimited by the criteria of saturation of the data collected at the Association of the Ostomates of Paraná State, Brazil. The collection of data happened by means of individual semi-structured interviews. The collected data was organized in a table of characterization of the subjects, in 7 categories related to the subject of the research: The impact of the first contact; Living with ostomy; Facing the alimentary adequacy; Adaptation of clothes; Living in society; Feelings and Sexuality. This research shows that 4 of the ostomates are male, with ages between 55 and 74, all married. The period of time living with ostomy varies from 1 year and 3 months to 17 years. In general, the speeches of the participant ostomates disclose the difficulty that they have while facing their new condition of life, the changes in their body and the feelings of rejection and fear of not being accepted by the family and the society. The research allowed us to understand how the ostomates live with, or how they conform themselves with their new corporal image. For the ostomates, the main changes of life are related to their new identity and the difficulty to live with the ostomy bag. Even being aware that the ostomy is a surgical procedure in many curative cases, it is still seen as a part of the patient’s corporal image, full of resentments and shame.