Understanding patients’ experiences of recovery after staged complex aortic repair: A phenomenological study

Abstract

Aim To explore patients’ with complex aortic diseases lived experiences of recovery between and after staged endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) procedures, including adjunctive open surgery. Design Qualitative descriptive phenomenological design, applying person‐centred care and lifeworld‐led health care. Methods Patients operated on in a staged fashion between 2012–2017 were invited to participate. Six participants underwent in‐depth interviews 1–5 years postoperatively. The interviews were analysed using descriptive phenomenological method. Findings The essence of the patients’ experiences was described as: a necessary, overwhelming, hard, and prolonged process with life changing consequences. Between the operations: expected tiredness where life goes on as usual and insufficient time for recovery. Short‐term after all operations: overwhelming tiredness, pain and complications, mostly from neurological deficits. Losing ‘yourself’ and struggling to manage daily life one day to another. Long‐term after all operations: gradually recovering back to ‘yourself’ and having to accept life with permanent setbacks and limitations. Conclusion Patients with complex aortic diseases struggle with physical and psychological setbacks, continuing years after their operations. There is a need to prospectively assess different aspects of these patients’ recovery, identify those with impaired recovery and establish preventive and supporting strategies. Impact Patients’ experience of recovery after staged aortic repair has not previously been investigated. The findings indicate that these patients struggle with various physical and psychological setbacks continuing years after their operations. These results will inform further research on this group of patients and guide healthcare professionals in the care of these patients in their transition back to recovery.

Current Understanding of Aortic Dissection

“…Aortic dissection patients usually suffer from both physical and psychological issues for a long time, even after satisfactory treatment [ 111 ]. This might result from the stress incited by the morbid nature of disease, and the trauma of dramatic experience [ 112 , 113 ].…”

Discomfort of postoperative patients with aortic dissection after discharge: telephone follow-up analysis of a cross-sectional study

“…With the passage of time, the treatment of AD has experienced the transition from open repair to endovascular treatment [ 4 ], and the number of patients who underwent surgical intervention has increased significantly [ 5 ]. Although the survival rate of patients with AD has been improved due to the improvement of surgical treatment, patients with AD still face physical and psychological problems, continuing for months or years [ 6 ].…”