title: Health-related quality of life after coronary artery bypass grafting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to monitor changes in health-related quality of life and to identify associated factors among patients having coronary artery bypass grafting and their significant others.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Heart disease and its treatment affects the lives of both patients and their significant others, and the early stage of recovery from surgery causes particular anxiety for both.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this longitudinal study, three sets of questionnaire data were collected 1, 6 and 12 months after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery from patients and significant others at one university hospital in Finland in 2001-2005. We recruited all patients who had been admitted for elective coronary artery bypass grafting surgery during the period specified. The data consisted of the responses from those patients and significant others who had completed all three questionnaires and for whom patient-significant other pairs existed (n = 163).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' and their significant others' health-related quality of life was at its lowest one month after the operation and improved during follow-up. The change in the mean health-related quality of life score differed between patients and significant others; the improvement in the patients' health-related quality of life was greater than that in the significant others. Neither the background variables used in the study nor social support were associated with change in health-related quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further research is needed to identify factors explaining the change in health-related quality of life to develop interventions to support patients and significant others.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Tampere, Finland. anja.rantanen@uta.fi
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rantanen
authors.forename: Marja-Terttu
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tarkka
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaunonen
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tarkka
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sintonen
authors.forename: Anna-Maija
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Koivisto
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Astedt-Kurki
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult