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. 2020 Mar-Apr;14(2):1557988320906977.
doi: 10.1177/1557988320906977.

Social Support in Patients With Sexual Dysfunction After Non-Nerve-Sparing Radical Prostatectomy: A Qualitative Study

Cayetano Fernández-Sola  1   2 , Álvaro Martínez-Bordajandi  3 , Ana Patricia Puga-Mendoza  4 , José Manuel Hernández-Padilla  5   6 , Vinicius Jobim-Fischer  7 , María Del Mar López-Rodríguez  6 , José Granero-Molina  6   8
Affiliations

Social Support in Patients With Sexual Dysfunction After Non-Nerve-Sparing Radical Prostatectomy: A Qualitative Study

Cayetano Fernández-Sola et al. Am J Mens Health. 2020 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

This study aimed to explore men's experiences of social support after non-nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. A qualitative study based on Gadamer's hermeneutic phenomenology was designed. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 men who had undergone a non-nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. Data analysis was performed using ATLAS.ti software. From this analysis, two main themes emerged: "The partner as a source of support and conflict after a prostatectomy," which includes empathetic reconnection with the partner and changes in sexual and cohabitation patterns and "The importance of social and professional circles," which addresses the shortcomings of the healthcare system in terms of sexual information and counseling as well as the role of friends within social support. The study suggests the need to establish interventions that address interpersonal communication and attention to social and informational support and include both the patient and those closest to them.

Keywords: prostate cancer; prostatectomy; qualitative research; sexual practice; sexuality.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The conceptual map relates social support theory (bottom, in uppercase) to emergent themes of the research (top, in lowercase).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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