Psychosocial outcome after coronary artery surgery

To describe psychosocial adaptation after coronary artery surgery and to identify preoperative factors associated with good outcome, the authors interviewed 30 patients before and 1--2 years after surgery. Despite good physiologic outcome (as measured by treadmill and cardiac function) this sample was found to be functioning poorly. Eighty-three percent were unemployed, and 57% were sexually impaired. A preoperative duration of symptoms of eight months or more was associated with significantly worse postoperative overall adaptation. Most patients who had suffered angina eight months or longer evidenced a damaged self-concept, which was reinforced rather than repaired by the experience of surgery.