The Expressions of Hope in the Face of Complex Surgery: Experiences of Patients and Their Loved Ones

BACKGROUND: Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS), a reduction in damaged lung tissue in end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a breakthrough surgical procedure requiring months of rigorous screening, testing, and conditioning. Engaging in this process is prolonged and challenging with no research found exploring patients and loved ones’ experiences through this demanding process. OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to examine the experience of LVRS for patients and loved ones as they encounter the complex preparation required prior to, during, and throughout the extended convalescence following surgery. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was used, combining health outcomes with interview data. Participants and loved ones were purposefully selected, invited, and consented during the perioperative phase of LVRS. Quantitative data were obtained via chart review, while qualitative data were gathered through a 2-stage interview process, preoperatively and postoperatively. Qualitative data were analyzed using naturalistic inquiry approaches. RESULTS: Patients and loved ones described difficulties of living with illness during the preoperative phase, and expressed relief and joy for an improved quality of life afterward. The overarching theme uncovered was hope. Preoperatively, hope was coupled with anxiety about the upcoming surgery and potential outcomes, whereas the hope expressed after surgery focused on the future, in particular, a shared future. Statistically significant differences were found in the quality of life measures. CONCLUSION: For both patients and loved ones, LVRS is filled with hope for a more expansive future. Although that future is unclear prior to surgery, clarification and a new normal signals hope for a shared future following LVRS.