MedWire News: The results of a small, qualitative UK survey show that patients undergoing coronary bypass grafting (CABG) surgery who may feel anxious or depressed about their recovery can be helped if they remain optimistic and are given information, reassurance, and support from the healthcare team and their social network.
"This research has indicated areas where staff can, at all stages of the patient's journey, provide information, support, and reassurance to help enhance longer-term recovery," Maria Dunkley and colleagues from Coventry University write in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.
"Although some factors affecting recovery have been investigated, rarely have patients been asked what they feel would constitute a 'good recovery' after CABG," they note. The views of healthcare professionals on barriers and facilitators of good post-operative care and how these can be addressed have also rarely been assessed.
To redress the balance, the researchers surveyed 11 patients who had undergone CABG and 10 healthcare professionals involved in the patients' care to determine the factors that facilitate and hinder post-operative recovery. The average age of the patients was 70 years and they had undergone CABG for the first time approximately 8 months previously.
Both patients and healthcare professionals perceived anxiety and depression to be barriers to good post-operative recovery, with the latter group stating that those who remained optimistic and determined to make a good recovery tended to do so.
Optimism was viewed as part of the normal nature of the patient and spurred them on to complete cardiac rehabilitation tasks even if they experienced minor set backs. Patients who were more pessimistic were thought more likely to give up or be afraid that the cardiac rehabilitation exercises may damage their heart. Some reported a loss of confidence in being able to function as normal and many stated that the support of family or friends was essential in being able to cope.
Healthcare professionals noted that it was important for patients to try to get back into a normal pattern of activities as soon as possible and that over-caring families may be hindering recovery by continually waiting on them.
Proactive support from the healthcare team was considered invaluable by patients, with follow-up phone calls in the first few weeks and being told to call the team if any problems arose being very reassuring.
"Identifying what aspects patients and carers are anxious about, for example, the fear of a myocardial infarction or damaging the surgical wound reported by patients in this study, could enable staff to offer specific advice and reassurance," Dunkey and colleagues say.
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