title: Health-related quality of life two days before, ten days and one year after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is one of the most important outcome criteria of nearly all medical procedures. Only the patients themselves can provide detailed and true information on their quality of life. The measurement of HRQL can be used to assess the expected benefit of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  142 patients were included in the study and completed the German version of the SF-36 health survey questionnaire (SF-36) [1]. The SF-36 was administered 2 days before, 10 days and one year after CABG surgery. Additionally, data produced by our patients was compared to the summary data of three populations displayed in the SF-36 handbook (standard population, patients with myocardial infarction and with angina pectoris).
  
  
  RESULTS
  While HRQL is slightly reduced 10 days after CABG surgery, the improvement one year later is highly significant compared to two days before CABG surgery. One year after CABG surgery, the HRQL of our patients is much closer to that of the standard population of the SF-36.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to HRQL, patients benefit from CABG surgery.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Herz- und Thoraxchirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. krannich_j@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de
authors.forename: J-H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Krannich
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lueger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Weyers
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Elert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors