Fear of disease progression in patients after open-heart surgery: A cross-sectional study

Fear of disease progression (FoP) is an emerging issue in patients after open-heart surgery (OHS), but data on this phenomenon are scarce and require further investigation.

This study aims to explore the current status of FoP in patients after OHS and to detect potential factors associated with FoP.

A cross-sectional design with convenience sampling was conducted on 210 patients who experienced OHS in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of a tertiary hospital in China from March 2024 to April 2025 by the demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire, the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form, the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, the Social Support Rating Scale, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Data were analyzed by using correlation analysis, univariate analysis, and multiple linear regression.

The average score of FoP was 34.55 ± 6.34, with 94 patients (44.76 %) having clinically abnormal FoP levels (score ≥ 34). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that age, educational level, family history of CVD, number of disease episodes, postoperative complications, anxiety and depression, coping modes (confrontation and avoidance), social support, illness perception were factors influencing FoP, accounting for 75.20 % of the total variance.

FoP is a commonly observed issue among patients after OHS. It is necessary to develop specialized psychological interventions and tailored assistance based on patient-specific factors to reduce FoP.