title: Perineal resuturing versus expectant management following vaginal delivery complicated by a dehisced wound (PREVIEW): a nested qualitative study.
abstract: To explore women's lived experiences of a dehisced perineal wound following childbirth and how they felt participating in a pilot and feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT).
  
  
  
  A nested qualitative study using semistructured interviews, underpinned by descriptive phenomenology.
  
  
  
  A purposive sample of six women at 6-9 months postnatal who participated in the RCT were interviewed in their own homes.
  
  
  
  Following Giorgi's analytical framework the verbatim transcripts were analysed for key themes. Women's lived experiences revealed 4 emerging themes: (1) Physical impact, with sub-themes focusing upon avoiding infection, perineal pain and the impact of the wound dehiscence upon daily activities; (2) Psychosocial impact, with sub-themes of denial, sense of failure or self-blame, fear, isolation and altered body image; (3) Sexual impact; and (4) Satisfaction with wound healing. A fifth theme 'participating in the RCT' was 'a priori' with sub-themes centred upon understanding the randomisation process, completing the trial questionnaires, attending for hospital appointments and acceptability of the treatment options.
  
  
  
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first qualitative study to grant women the opportunity to voice their personal experiences of a dehisced perineal wound and their views on the management offered. The powerful testimonies presented disclose the extent of morbidity experienced while also revealing a strong preference for a treatment option.
  
  
  
  ISRCTN05754020; results.
authors.affiliation: The Maternity Centre, Royal Stoke, University Hospitals of North Midlands, Staffordshire, UK.|Faculty of Health Sciences, Staffordshire University, Stafford, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dudley
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Staffordshire University, Stafford, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kettle
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Rehabilitation and Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Waterfield
authors.affiliation: Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Khaled M K
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Ismail
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D022125:Lacerations / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000523:psychology; D010358:Patient Participation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010502:Perineum / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012934:Social Isolation; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom; D014945:Wound Healing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dehiscence; Perineum; Postnatal; Womens experience