Couples' experiences with ostomy due to colorectal cancer in one of the partners: a scoping review.
Ricardo Emanuel Sousa Mestre, Ana Beatriz Gomes Dias, Célia Maria Gonçalves Simão de Oliveira and 1 others
PMID 41730132WHAT IT FOUND
Couples facing a colorectal cancer ostomy described fluctuating closeness and disconnection, sexual and body-image strain, and adjustment alongside communication, shared care, and professional counseling.
Most evidence came from one partner, not both.
Key findings
01Couples described moving between individuality and a shared 'we', with periods of disconnection and isolation.
02The evidence named facilitators such as professional counseling, collaborative care, spousal support, and couple communication, and inhibitors such as shame, fear, lack of information, and financial difficulty.
03Only two included studies gathered data from couples directly; five included only people with ostomies and one included only spouses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only nine studies were included, so the review maps a small body of evidence rather than a mature field. Most included studies used the perspective of one partner only, not both members of the couple, which may leave the shared experience incomplete. One potentially relevant article could not be obtained in full text, so some evidence may be missing. Some grey literature sources could not be searched because they were inactive at the time of data collection. The included studies used adaptation and adjustment frequently but often without clear definitions, making comparison across studies difficult. The evidence came from six countries and varied study designs, so the themes may not transfer directly to every clinical setting. The review did not test interventions, so it cannot show that couple-focused support improves outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that couple-focused counseling improves adjustment. The review mapped experiences from nine studies, most of which used one partner's account, and it did not test any intervention.