A Prospective Study on Activities of Daily Living, Comfort, Body Image, and Cardiac Symptoms in Coronary Artery Bypass Patients

Background: A coronary artery bypass graft procedure reduces mortality for cardiovascular patients, but those undergoing it often face negative body perception, loss of daily activities, and lingering symptoms, hindering full functional recovery and comfort. Aim: To compare the comfort level, activities of daily living, and body image based on certain characteristics of patients at baseline, (ii) Evaluate changes over time in levels of discomfort, activities of daily living, body image, and cardiac symptoms before and after CABG surgery within three months. Method: This descriptive prospective cohort study comprised 50 patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass surgery. The study examined cardiac symptoms, comfort levels, daily activities, and multidimensional body-self relationships as its outcomes. Results: A Friedman test revealed that patients' body image, comfort levels, activities of daily living, and each heart symptom were significantly influenced by the time of day. According to this study, patients most frequently reported experiencing exhaustion, depression, and worry as cardiac symptoms. Only the comfort level exhibited a high correlation with each heart symptom, as indicated by Spearman's rho analysis. Conclusion: The body image, comfort level, activities of daily living, and cardiac symptoms of patients changed over time. Therefore, regular assessments of these symptoms during the pre- and post-operative periods could offer valuable insights into patients' needs. This information can be instrumental in developing interventions that address patients' well-being and may positively impact patient outcomes. (c) 2024 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.