Abstract: Objective: To gain a deeper understanding of the real experience of home rehabilitation within one month of discharge for patients with esophageal cancer after surgery, and provide reference for targeted intervention measures and follow-up plans. Methods: Using purposive sampling method, 17 home-based patients with esophageal cancer who were discharged within one month after surgery were selected for face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results: Four themes covering 16 categories were extracted: physical symptom distress, negative emotional distress, unmet expectations and needs, struggling to adapt to a new life. Conclusion: It is suggested that medical staff should pay attention to the physical symptoms and psychological experience of patients after surgery, provide professional health education, and establish a comprehensive social support system, in order to improve the rehabilitation experience and life quality of those home-based patients.

Key words: esophageal cancer; home care; rehabilitation; qualitative study