The effect of ostomy surgery between the ages of 6 and 12 years on psychosocial development during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of ostomy surgery performed between the ages of 6 and 12 years on psychosocial development during subsequent childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.

Design: Ethnographic.

Setting and subjects: Six women and 4 men (mean age 30.7 years) who responded to a notice in a chapter newsletter of the United Ostomy Association.

Methods: Spradley's Ethnographic interview format was used for this study. One interview was conducted with each informant over a 4-week period, and a second, more detailed interview was conducted with 2 subjects who were identified as key informants. The interviews were audiotaped and transcribed, and the transcripts were analyzed to detect shared patterns in the informants' language.

Instruments: The Ethnograph computer software program was used as an aid in analyzing the interview transcripts.

Main outcome measures: The informants' subjective experiences during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.

Results: Nine of the 10 informants adjusted well in the first years after surgery. Key factors in good adjustment were support from family and a perception of "normalcy," including managing one's own ostomy care. All informants reported that their ostomy had a negative impact on their lives during adolescence and that they would have appreciated contact with other teens facing the same dilemma. The age at which an informant underwent ostomy surgery did not influence the difficulties reported during adolescence.

Conclusion: Ostomy surgery performed between the ages of 6 and 12 years can have long-term effects on psychosocial development. Nurses should promote normalization, teach self-care of the ostomy as soon as possible after surgery, and refer children and parents to mutual support groups as appropriate.