title: A journey of restoring self-confidence: the life experiences of women recipients of augmentation mammaplasty.
abstract: The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the preoperative through postoperative phase experience of women who had undergone augmentation mammaplasty. Nine women undergoing augmentation mammaplasty were selected by purposive sampling and interviewed using semi- structured, open-ended interview guidelines. Researchers used Symbolic interactionism to frame their overall perspective and analyzed data with the content analysis method. Rigors of data analysis were adopted credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability proposed by Guba and Lincoln. The main theme of living experience of women who received augmentation mammaplasty could be summarized as "a journey to restore self-confidence". The categories identified within this journey included: (1) the invisible standards of breast beauty; (2) Taking courageous action to make changes; (3) conflicts between the natural and artificial. The above findings provided initial qualitative data from Taiwanese women's perspective. By better understanding their experience, nurses can become increasingly sensitive to patients' psychosocial adjustment and provide prudential nursing care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, National Taipei College of Nursing, Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Ru
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ue-Lin
authors.initials: UL
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Sophia C N
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D013624:Taiwan