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Psychosocial and Ethical Aspects

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Palliative Surgery

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Abstract

This chapter reflects on some of the realities of providing psychosocial care and the ethical dilemmas that are raised in the context of very sick and dying patients who require palliative surgery. We start by defining psychological, social and spiritual care and then highlight the evidence for integrating these elements of care in palliative surgery. We address the important topic of communication, information exchange, decision-making and ethical choices that are relevant to all types of surgical practice but especially when cure is not the likely or intended outcome. The objective of the chapter is to demonstrate how individual differences in appraisals of stress lead to a variety of coping responses. We also present an overview of psychological issues associated with cancer-related pain management, psychological and psychosexual consequences of palliative surgery and the psychological effects of cancer or surgically induced changes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Health Research, International Observatory on End of Life Care, Lancaster University, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 4YG, UK

    Sheila Payne BA, DipN, RN, PhD, C.Psychol & Nancy J. Preston PhD, RGN

Authors
  1. Sheila Payne BA, DipN, RN, PhD, C.Psychol
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  2. Nancy J. Preston PhD, RGN
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sheila Payne BA, DipN, RN, PhD, C.Psychol .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery, Mount Gambier General Hospital, Flinders University—Rural Medical School, Mount Gambier, South Australia, Australia

    Matthias W. Wichmann

  2. Discipline of Surgery, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of Adelaide, Woodville, South Australia, Australia

    Guy Maddern

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Payne, S., Preston, N.J. (2014). Psychosocial and Ethical Aspects. In: Wichmann, M., Maddern, G. (eds) Palliative Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-53709-7_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-53709-7_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-53708-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-53709-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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