The coronary artery bypass graft surgery trajectory: Gender differences revisited

Over the past several decades there has been substantial research interest in gender differences within the coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery trajectory. However, the debate persists regarding the reasons why women may have less favorable outcomes. As part of a larger study, we explored gender differences in the physiological and psychosocial dimensions of pre-operative status, and post-operative morbidity and quality of life outcomes in CABG surgery patients. A purposive sample of patients on the waiting list for CABG surgery (N=195; 157 males; 38 females) was followed for 6 months post-surgery. The results reflected consistent evidence of a male advantage across the CABG surgery trajectory. Though gender differences in age were non-significant, females had significantly more post-operative respiratory complications (p=0.005), a longer hospital stay (p=0.003), more symptoms at 2 weeks post-discharge, and a lower quality of life at 6 weeks and 6 months post-discharge. Our findings provide important insights for improving CABG surgery outcomes for both men and women. In particular, implementing creative strategies to improve physical functioning pre-operatively, may improve post-operative quality of life outcomes in this population.