Abstract

This study aims to explore the process of middle-aged women adapting to their bodies and the changes in their lives after undergoing a hysterectomy before menopause. Previous research on hysterectomy has primarily been conducted in the fields of medicine and nursing. However, in-depth studies on the physical, psychological, and social aspects experienced by middle-aged women after surgery remain limited. Therefore, this study seeks to gain a deeper understanding of these experiences and provide fundamental data to prevent maladjustment caused by physical loss. To achieve this, female participants in their 40s and 50s were recruited, including three married women (aged 56, 54, and 51) and one unmarried woman (aged 49), totaling four participants. In-depth interviews were conducted, and the collected data were analyzed using the narrative inquiry method. To compensate for the limitations of a small sample size, multiple preliminary interviews were conducted. Additionally, meaningful themes identified during the transcription process were further explored in subsequent interviews. The validity of the study was ensured through case analysis and repeated comparative analysis. The results revealed that participants’ experiences were categorized into pre-surgery, surgical process, and post-surgical loss experiences, leading to the identification of five major themes (“Despair and Regret,” “Relief and Emptiness,” “An Unfamiliar Body,” “The True Meaning of Womanhood,” and “Life, Adaptation, and Recovery”) and ten sub-themes. Analysis showed that married and unmarried women perceived the significance of the uterus differently, which influenced their psychological responses. Additionally, all participants experienced career changes after surgery and shared concerns about equating the uterus with femininity. However, they also acknowledged the difficulty of completely disregarding societal perceptions. Based on these findings, this study provides a comprehensive discussion on physical loss and the adaptation process, addressing the study’s limitations and suggesting directions for future research.