[Psychic and medical reactions in patients undergoing open heart surgery in relation to preoperative psychological condition]

This study reports some results on the postoperative psychological and medical condition of 72 open-heart surgery patients. Special emphasis is placed on the relationship between the postoperative reactions and the preoperative psychological condition of the patients as assessed by an interview. Patients whose postoperative reactions was of a psychotic paranoid type conceived the operation as a mainly technical event and had optimistic expectations for the future. Patients who reacted in a hostile aggressive manner after the operation were preoperatively emotionally withdrawn and depressive inhibited. As far as the postoperative physical condition is concerned it was found that patients with the best recovery in this respect were preoperatively characterized by alexithymia. The results are discussed under psychonalytical aspects. Special emphasis is placed on the preoperative condition of alexithymia.