This case study describes the use of interpretative phenomenological analysis in a health psychology study. We describe the influences of cultural perceptions of wait time for scheduled surgery, how the study was inherently a qualitative examination, and what the challenges were in using a particular phenomenological data analytic technique. The case reveals some aspects of the complex philosophy behind phenomenology. We also outline how interpretative phenomenological analysis was adapted to understand a large and complex set of data and what challenges arise in health psychology research
