Joint replacement is the most frequently performed operative procedure in the U.S. However, little is known about the pre- and post-operative experience from the patient’s perspective. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to gain information about what patients experience as they anticipate and recover from total knee replacement surgery (TKR). Data about the preoperative experience were collected during 4 focus groups involving17 adults scheduled for TKR. Data about the postoperative experience were collected via interviews with 10 adults who underwent TKR within the past two months. Debriefing sessions to identify major themes followed each data collection session. The data collection and debriefing sessions were taped and transcribed. Qualitative content analysis of transcripts by two investigators yielded four categories that describe the participants’ experience of TKR. “Putting Up and Putting Off” is the period prior to the decision to have the surgery, characterized by increasing pain and decreasing function. “Waiting, Worrying, and Wondering” describes the interval between deciding to have surgery and the surgery. During this time, participants become anxious to “get it over with”, worry about what could go wrong, and have questions about the surgery and implant. “Letting Go and Letting In” is the process of relinquishing control and accepting help from others. Belief in the competence and caring of healthcare providers and hearing others’ success stories aids in this process. “Hurting and Hoping” characterizes the postoperative period of enduring the pain and hard work of rehabilitation in hopes of return to a “normal” life. Results of the study provide insight into how persons experience TKR and can guide caregivers in planning patient education and clinical interventions.
Funded by the Kent State University-Summa Health Systems Center for the Treatment and Study of Traumatic Stress and the Kent State University Research Council
Session #1077 - Acute Care Research: Impacting Patient Care Outcomes
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)