Distress, Pain, and Coping Strategies in Patients Undergoing Breast-Conserving Surgery: A Scoping Literature Review.
Jennifer Ross Majumdar, Stephen J Yermal
PMID 38108442WHAT IT FOUND
Women after breast-conserving surgery reported substantial pain and nausea, but studies rarely measured distress on postoperative day one.
Nurses can set expectations and assess these symptoms after surgery.
Key findings
01In the included studies, postoperative pain after breast-conserving therapy ranged from 9% to 94%, and reported nausea was as high as 30%.
02The review found age, preoperative pain, anxiety, distress, employment status, and depression were significantly associated with acute postoperative pain, nausea, and distress.
03The included studies did not consistently collect or report data from the 24 hours following surgery, and they did not report the trajectory of distress throughout the initial treatment and surgical period.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a scoping review, so it maps what is known and where gaps remain; it does not test an intervention or establish the size of effects. The included studies did not consistently collect or report data from the 24 hours following surgery or on postoperative day one. Some included studies examined total mastectomy or breast reconstruction rather than breast-conserving surgery alone. One included study did not collect data on postoperative psychological symptoms. One included study may have biased its sample because about 30% of approached patients declined, citing feeling overwhelmed and anxious. The Discussion reports 11 peer-reviewed studies, while the methods report 13 quantitative studies met criteria.
Declared interests
The paper states there are no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this review as proof that any coping strategy, predictor, or nursing action reduces pain, nausea, or distress. It mapped associations and gaps, not tested interventions.