WOMEN AND MASTECTOMY: LITERARY REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among the malignancies, and the mostprevalent in female class. Many are the physical and emotional difficulties for women with this diagnosis.Objective: To review the physical and emotional relationship between women and mastectomy. Methodology:The method used was a literature review of databases and journals in the period of 2006 to 2012,being used the following descriptors: “mastectomy”, “therapy” and “breast cancer”. For inclusion, studieshad to meet the following conditions: physical and emotional sequelae postoperatively the surgical procedure;relate mastectomy with women. It was excluded articles that had no relation between mastectomyand women. For data analysis, it were extracted informations from each article regarding the physicaland emotional conditions in the period after surgical procedure, exercise addressed to better recovery ofpatients, the relationship between the procedures performed, the physical and emotional changes and theinfluence of patient sexuality after mastectomy. Results: It was collected and analyzed 25 studies relatedto women who had mastectomies and mastectomy. Women undergo mastectomies negative feelings, both physical and emotional in the postoperative period, especially the sexual, social and physical life. Conclusion: Women withmastectomies need family support and marital and multidisciplinary monitoring.