Lived experiences of post-penectomy for patients receiving healthcare from a public hospital in KwaZulu-Natal : a phenomenological study

Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for Master of Health Sciences: Nursing at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2023. ; Penile cancer is a rare malignancy with prevalence higher in areas of high Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) such as Africa, Asia and South America. In middle- and low income countries where circumcision is not routinely practiced, the rate of penile cancer could be ten times higher. A penectomy refers to a procedure which all or parts of the penis are surgically removed. Total penectomy involves the removal of the entire penis. During this procedure, a new opening is created in the perineum through which urine can pass. In some cases, the testicles, scrotum and lymph nodes may be removed. A partial penectomy involves the removal of part of the penis and typically leaves the shaft intact. Surgical treatment is inevitably mutilating. Despite its therapeutic effectiveness, total penectomy leads to mutilations that affect the ability of patients to void urine while upright. It also affects the patient’s corporal image, genital sensibility, and self-esteem. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experiences of post penectomy patients receiving care in a Public Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. Methodology This was a qualitative study based on Edmund Husserl’s descriptive phenomenology which is described as the science of the essence of consciousness or inquiry into the consciousness of the patient. Purposeful sampling was used for the study. Data was collected using face-to-face in-depth interviews with patients who had penectomy surgery and were receiving follow-up health care in the selected public hospital. These patients were a year or more post-surgery therefore had sufficient experience to provide rich data. Participants were met and told about the study when they came to the hospital’s outpatient department for their follow up visits, and interviews were conducted where they are most comfortable such as at their homes. Results The data ...