In the eye of both patient and spouse: memory is poor 1 to 2 years after coronary bypass and angioplasty

Background. The study aimed to investigate patient and spouse perception of cognitive functioning 1 to 2 years after coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods. Seventy-six married patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting were selected and sex- and age-matched with 75 concurrent married patients who had undergone percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Couples received a letter of explanation and then completed telephone interviews. Forty-seven questions assessed memory, concentration, general health, social functioning, and emotional state. Response choices were: improved, unchanged, or deteriorated function after coronary artery bypass grafting/percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Results. Patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting did not differ in subjective ratings on any measure from patients who had undergone percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. There were no differences between spouses in the respective groups; spouse ratings also did not differ from patient ratings. Only in memory function did patients and spouses report a postprocedural decline. Conclusions. No subjective differences were found in patients who had undergone either coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Spouse ratings agreed with each other and with patient ratings. Positive correlations were found between the questionnaire factors, suggesting that perceived health and well-being are associated with subjective cognition.