Abstract
This article represents findings of a qualitative analysis of interviews with women age 30 to 64 years (n = 14) who had undergone immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) following mastectomy. The purpose of the study was to explore women’s experiences for electing IBR. According to our analysis, women experienced mastectomy as a disability, and their expectations of IBR to restore their sense of normalcy were not fulfilled. Most women perceived the reconstructed breast mainly as a visual replacement. Women’s experience formed a continuous narrative from the moment of diagnosis, through mastectomy until the completion of the reconstruction.
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