Investigating Patient’ Perspectives on Open Heart Surgery Based on Gender: A Metaphorical Study

Objectives: Gender plays a crucial role in shaping experiences and needs in healthcare.Investigating metaphors used by men and women provides valuable insights into gender-based differences, particularly in the context of complex surgeries like open-heart surgery (OHS).However, the use of metaphors to understand patient perspectives in such surgeries remains underexplored.This study aimed to explore the emotions and insights of patients before OHS through metaphorical expressions. Materials and Methods:The study was conducted using the metaphor analysis technique based on the phenomenological method.Metaphor analysis, as a qualitative research approach, provides an in-depth understanding of lived experiences.The COREQ statement, a 32-item checklist for reporting qualitative studies, was followed to ensure transparency and rigor.The sample consisted of 62 patients.Results: More than half of the patients (n=33) were male.Most patients (n=38) were primary school graduates, 28 of them were retired, and almost all of them (n=57) were married.Coronary artery bypass grafting was planned for 45 of the patients.The patients' ages ranged from 37 to 85 years.Patients produced 38 different metaphors for OHS, frequently including repair, salvation, recreation, goodness, fear, anxiety, and guidance.The metaphors were categorized into four themes: the mechanical perspective, the spiritual perspective, the cognitive-emotional perspective, and the accepting perspective.Male patients more frequently used mechanical and accepting metaphors, whereas female patients predominantly expressed spiritual and cognitive-emotional metaphors.