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Patients benefit--partners suffer? The impact of heart transplantation on the partner relationship
B Bunzel1, K Laederach-Hofmann, M T Schubert
1University Hospital Vienna, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Austria.
Insights
Heart transplantation significantly impacts spouse relationships, causing deterioration in communication and emotional involvement for up to five years post-surgery. This highlights the need for comprehensive partner support in cardiac transplant care.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Terminal heart disease profoundly affects patients and their families, particularly spouses.
- The psychosocial impact of advanced medical interventions like heart transplantation on relationships requires thorough investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively evaluate the impact of heart transplantation on the partner relationship.
- To understand changes in marital dynamics from pre-transplant to long-term post-transplant phases.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 26 couples undergoing heart transplantation.
- Utilized the Family Assessment Measure (FAM III) to assess relationship functioning at three time points: waiting list, 1 year, and 5 years post-transplant.
- Collected self-report data from both heart transplant recipients and their spouses.
Main Results:
- Both patients and spouses reported a general decline in the partner relationship post-transplantation.
- Spouses noted significant worsening in role performance, communication, emotional involvement, and shared values/norms.
- These negative impacts on the relationship were evident one year after transplantation and persisted for at least five years.
Conclusions:
- Heart transplantation exerts a significant, lasting negative influence on the spousal relationship.
- Holistic patient care must integrate support for the partner relationship, addressing communication, roles, and emotional connection.
- Further research and clinical attention are warranted for the long-term relational well-being of couples navigating heart transplantation.
Abstract:
Terminal heart disease affects not only the patient, but also members of the patient's family, and especially the spouse. The aim of this prospective study of 26 couples was to collect information about the impact of heart transplantation on the partner relationship. Data were collected from patients and spouses when the patients were placed on the waiting list for transplantation, 1 year postoperatively, and 5 years postoperatively. The Family Assessment Measure (FAM III), a self-report instrument that provides quantitative indices of family functioning on seven interacting dimensions, was used. In the course of the transplant process, both patients and spouses reported a significant deterioration in the partner relationship in general. While patients perceived only one clear-cut point of conflict communication about emotions - as crucial, the spouses reported a significant worsening in role performance, communication, emotional involvement, and values and norms. These changes were discernible 1 year after transplantation and persisted for at least 5 years. We conclude that heart transplantation has a significant negative impact on the partner relationship 1-5 years after transplantation. Consequently, more attention should be paid to all aspects of the partner relationship in a holistic approach to the treatment of heart transplant recipients and their partners.