title: Breast reconstruction following mastectomy: II. Marital characteristics of patients seeking the procedure.
abstract: Information is presented from a clinical study of 65 women and a psychometric study of 85 women. All had had mastectomies because of breast cancer and were reconstruction patients at Duke Hospital. Women seeking breast reconstruction did not exhibit characterological problems. Relatively few were in psychiatric treatment, and previous research had established the presence of positive rather than negative self-images. The marriages of women seeking this surgical procedure were positively and the women viewed their marriages as a chief source of support. Considerable satisfaction was expressed about husbands being supportive, although husbands were also viewed as poor listeners and, at times, as unable to communicate effectively. Most women were satisfied with various aspects of their sexual lives. A small percentage of the women reported problematic marriages. Various factors, related to the presence of conflict in the marriage and the ability of the husband to understand his wife, may account for the distress evidenced in these marriages. Such factors, of course, are present in any problematic marriage; it remains to be demonstrated whether these problems were caused or exacerbated by the woman's mastectomy and decision to seek breast reconstruction.
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001940:Breast / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior