Determining preoperative and postoperative predictors of physical health status in open -heart surgery patients

Abstract

The questionnaires measured expectations, anxiety, depression, and PHS. Subjects were also asked three open-ended questions postoperatively regarding their expectations of surgery and recovery. Findings: Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated that expectations improved after surgery (p = .246), while PHS decreased slightly after surgery (p = .323), but the findings were not significant. Anxiety and depression scores decreased postoperatively and the findings were significant (p = .002 anxiety, p = .026 depression). Pearson Product Moment Correlations revealed positive preoperative expectations were associated with better preoperative PHS (p = .008). In contrast, preoperative expectations were negatively correlated with anxiety (p = .000) and depression (p = .000). Preoperative depression was also negatively correlated with preoperative PHS (p = .006). Postoperative expectations were associated with better postoperative PHS (p = .047). In contrast, postoperative expectations were negatively correlated with postoperative anxiety (p = .000) and postoperative depression (p = .000). Postoperative depression was also negatively correlated with postoperative PHS (p = .017). Multiple regression analyses indicated that preoperative expectations, anxiety, depression, and PHS contributed to 38% of the variance of postoperative PHS, and the findings were statistically significant (p = .000). Postoperative expectations, anxiety and depression only contributed to 8% of the variance of postoperative PHS and the findings were not significant (p = .075). Conclusions: The findings support the need for interventions to assist patients in developing realistic expectations. The findings also support the need for clinicians to screen patients before and after surgery for anxiety and depression. Future research needs to measure PHS at various times postoperatively to identify continued limitations after surgery. v I would especially like to thank my family. To my parents, Dr. Richard and Bonnie Frazer, thank you for loving and encouraging me, and especially for all of your prayers. To my siblings and their families, thank you for all of your support and encouragement. Finally, to my husband, Bob, and our children, Mitchell and Julia, thank you for your continued love and support over the past five years. I know there were difficult days and times when it seemed this would never end. I appreciate the sacrifices that we have all made and hope that you are as proud of me as I am of all of you. I am so grateful to have you as my family. Thank you. I love you all so very much! I would especially like to thank God for His continued blessings and for granting me the wisdom, knowledge, and perseverance to complete this degree. vi