A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Exploration of the Early Phase of Healing From Liver Transplant Surgery Guided by Newman's Theory of Health as Expanded Consciousness.

In the first weeks after a liver transplant, patients face a complex healing process shaped by past trauma, financial strain, and mismatched expectations. Interviews with nine recipients (eight men, one woman, ages 31–70) revealed six themes: waiting to die while preparing to live, a desire to help others to support themselves, misaligned expectations that complicate healing, the importance of nonjudgmental care, financial and employment difficulties, and adverse childhood experiences as barriers. The central finding is that addressing past traumas is essential for whole-person healing. The findings highlight educational, psychosocial, financial, and interpersonal challenges that should be addressed to improve recovery.

Study at a glance

Abstract

There is a lack of evidence describing the lived experience of the early healing period (72 hours to 6 weeks post-transplant) and its meaning to people undergoing liver transplant surgery. To address this gap, a qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological approach guided by Newman's Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness was used to describe and interpret the meaning of the early stage of healing post liver transplantation. We conducted 2 semistructured interviews with 9 participants (8 men, 1 woman; ages 31-70 years). Six themes were identified: Waiting to die while preparing to live; Desire to help others as a way of supporting themselves; Misaligned expectations that complicate the healing process; Nonjudgmental, nonstigmatizing healing; Financial and employment difficulties as a barrier to healing; and History of adverse childhood experiences as a barrier to healing. The overarching conceptualization of the study was the awareness of the need to address past traumas as central to whole-person healing. Findings highlight the many educational, psychosocial, financial, and interpersonal challenges faced by this population that should be considered to improve the healing process.