Can Cardiac Surgery Lead to ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD? Findings of a 5-year Follow-up Study

Cardiac surgery may lead to various neuropsychiatric conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) included a new complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) disorder in addition to PTSD. This study aimed to explore whether cardiac surgery could be associated with PTSD and CPTSD at a five-year follow-up after cardiac surgery. The study sample comprised 210 patients (mean age 67, 69.5% male) who had undergone cardiac surgery. The self-report International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) was used to assess ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD. The Medical Outcomes Study 36 Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire was used to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We found 5.2% of cardiac surgery-related probable PTSD and CPTSD at a 5-year follow-up, 1.9% PTSD, and 3.3% CPTSD. Low HRQOL was associated with a high risk for PTSD/CPTSD at follow-up. The results showed that cardiac surgery might have a long-term effect on PTSD and CPTSD symptoms. Patients with low HRQOL are at higher risk of having PTSD/CPTSD risk. The study informs about the need for psychosocial interventions to reduce the impact of cardiac surgery on neuropsychiatric conditions and the improvement of HRQOL.