Does Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Improve Whole Aspects of Quality of Life?

Background:The aim of this study is to examine changes in the health related quality of life as perceived by patients 12 months following CABG procedure.Methods:131 patients were included in the study and were interviewed by trained personnel using short form 36 (SF36) questionnaires to determine changes in quality of life following CABG. The mean age was 59 +/- 8.9 years and about 75% were males.Results:Approximately 90% of patients experienced an overall improvement in their functional health status, while 5% felt no change compared to pre-operative period and another 5% actually felt worse than prior to the procedure. 70% of patients could perform their everyday activities easily and almost half thought they were more relaxed. Interestingly about 30% of patients experienced disturbance in their sexual function following the operation. There was a significant relationship between improvement in ejection fraction and post-operative QOL among our patients Conclusions: CABG results in improved health related quality of life both in physical and mental domains. There still remains a group of patients who do not experience any benefit in their functional health despite undergoing this major procedure, identifying these patients is beneficial in counseling prior to the operation.