Psychosocial adjustment before and after coronary artery bypass surgery

Twenty-eight consecutive male patients were examined a few days before, and again twelve months after, coronary artery bypass surgery. The evaluation included the patients' psychological distress, psychosocial adjustment, cardiac state, personality and family relations. Before surgery the patients were relatively well adjusted, despite being severely disabled physically. On the follow-up evaluation the cardiac state improved significantly on every index examined. On the other hand no change occurred in the psychological distress, personality and family relations. Significant post-operative improvement was found in some of the domains of the psychosocial adjustment, but not in others.