The role of psychological support in cardiac surgery: initial experience.
The scientific literature has pointed out several predictors of negative outcome after surgery such as pain and depression, negatively affecting the postoperative outcome in cardiac surgery. From January 2009 until June 2010, 15 patients scheduled for cardiac surgery were enrolled. The patients were assessed by psychological evaluation either in the hospital stay either in the rehabilitation period with the aim of identifying their emotional condition (sentiments about the onset of the disease, support received from family and friends) even by means of preformed tests for anxiety and depression (tests of Stay and Back). Thus, in our preliminary experience, the psychological evaluation failed to detect the occurrence of postoperative complications. Conversely, the psychological evaluation is very effective in detecting a poor emotional state and the psychological support decreases the degree of anxiety and depression with positive effects on postoperative outcome. In conclusion, a standardize test for anxiety and depression should be used for patients at hospital admission to detect who may benefits by psychological support.
Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Fabrizio
F
Sansone
Department of Psychology, Mauriziano Hospital Umberto I, Turin, Italy.
Erika
E
Bellini
Department of Psychology, Mauriziano Hospital Umberto I, Turin, Italy.
Sabrina
S
Ghersi
Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Edoardo
E
Zingarelli
Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Roberto
R
Flocco
Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Guglielmo Mario
GM
Actis Dato
Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Pier Giuseppe
PG
Forsennati
Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Francesco
F
Parisi
Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Giuseppe
G
Punta
Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Gian Luca
GL
Bardi
Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Stefano
S
Del Ponte
Division of Cardiac Surgery;
Riccardo
R
Casabona
cardiac surgery; outcome.; postoperative course; psychological assessment; psychologists; rehabilitation; surgery