The purpose of this study was to better understand how individuals with craniofacial conditions experience living with visible differences and make sense of appearance-altering surgery. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 11 adults with Goldenhar or Crouzon syndrome. Interviews were analysed using a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach to thematic analysis. Our analysis revealed the following overarching theme, To see myself as other people see me, which encompassed three main themes: a) Striving to fit in, b) Altering the way I look and c) Support from family and friends. The participants' sense of their own appearance seemed to be connected to how they perceived others to evaluate their appearance. All had experienced negative reactions from others. They experienced themselves as different and had a desire to belong. All participants had undergone appearance-altering surgery, hoping that by changing appearance, they would reduce negative reactions and feel more connected to and accepted by other people. The process of undergoing appearance-changing surgery was experienced as challenging, and participants wished for a dialogue with surgeons which included psychological and emotional aspects of changing appearance. A better understanding of how to strengthen positive identity processes and feelings of belongingness should be a key focus of future research.
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To investigate parents' reflections and experiences of having a child born with an appearance-altering condition, interviews with 33 parents of children born with rare craniofacial conditions were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: "Managing emotions: A dynamic process," "Through another lens: External reminders of difference," and "Awareness of difference: Approaching the child." Findings suggest that although parents learned to accept and love their child's visible difference, external factors such as appearance-altering surgery and other people's reactions activated difficult emotions in parents.
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The purpose of this study was to better understand how individuals with craniofacial conditions experience living with visible differences and make sense of appearance-altering surgery. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 11 adults with Goldenhar or Crouzon syndrome. Interviews were analysed using a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach to thematic analysis.
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Erratum to "'Operating is the easy part': Surgeons' decision-making processes and responses to parental requests for elective paediatric appearance-altering facial surgery" [J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 72 (2019) 1379-1387].
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Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Reception Level 2, West Building, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia; Plastic and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia.
'Operating is the easy part': Surgeons' decision-making processes and responses to parental requests for elective paediatric appearance-altering facial surgery.
J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg
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