high-quality, effective patient care should provide
patients with a realistic expectation of recovery time
based on evidence. A literature review of transverse
rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap breast reconstruction
surgery revealed a lack of research on the location and
duration of pain after surgery and a time frame for when women
can expect to resume their previous lifestyle. Patients usually
are told that recovery will take six to eight weeks and that they
can return to work and previous activities at that time. However,
patients in the current study have reported that substantial
pain, as well as decreased energy levels, persists for six weeks
to three months. Serletti and Moran (1997) stated that their
patients did not return to work for 9–10 weeks, and Vancouver
Coastal Health (2007) noted that patients take 6–12 weeks to