Bypass Surgery Leaves Some Patients With Severe Problems

Although coronary artery bypass graft surgery improves the quality of life for most patients with extensive coronary artery disease, some patients continue to have severe pain 12 months after surgery.

They also suffer sleep disturbances and altered relationships with their spouse or next of kin.

These findings are reported by Australian investigators who carried out a study in a sample of 123 patients one year after they underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

The aim of their research was to assess the relationship between preoperative risk factors, postoperative chronic pain, sleep and gender on perceptions of quality of life.

The researchers also sought to determine whether there was concordance between spousal and patient reporting of quality of life after CABG.

The patients, aged 64 years on average and living in the community, had undergone surgery and had participated in a recent clinical trial. They were followed up to 12 months.

Spouses or next of kin were asked about their perception of change in the patients’ quality of life.

Results were assessed using the Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire and additional questions at 12 months after surgery.

The Cleveland Clinic Clinical Severity Score (CSS) was used preoperatively to predict quality of life outcome.

The study found significant improvements in quality of life as measured by the SF-36 questionnaire in physical functioning, bodily pain, social functioning and role limitations resulting from emotional status.

The research also disclosed other significant associations between poor quality of life and patients who reported severe pain or sleep of poor quality.

Low-risk patients, as identified by the preoperative CSS, were more likely to have improved quality of life at 12 months. Alteration in quality of life was reported equally by patients and their spouses or next of kin.

A relatively large number (41 percent) of spouses or next of kin reported short-term memory impairment in patients.