Gender, Age, and Operation Type Differences in Early Postoperative Complaints After Open Heart Surgery

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Observational. Population: Open heart surgery (n=160). Intervention: Open heart surgery. Primary outcome: Frequency of sleep disorder (most common complaint).

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

In the first six weeks after open heart surgery, post-discharge complaints—most commonly sleep disorder, dyspnea, and chest pain—vary significantly according to patient gender, age, and surgical operation type. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Mehmet Işık

doi:10.56752/mevmedsci.2026.105

April 10, 2026Mevlana Medical SciencesOpen Access

Gender, Age, and Operation Type Differences in Early Postoperative Complaints After Open Heart Surgery

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Share

Key result

Open heart surgery is linked to sleep disorders in ~46% of patients within six weeks.

n=160

Why the study?

The study aimed to investigate the relationship between post-discharge symptoms in the first six weeks after open heart surgery and age, sex, and operation type, and to analyze their frequency, onset timing, and co-occurrence.

How do gender, age, and operation type affect early postoperative complaints after open heart surgery?

Key Points

To investigate the frequency, onset timing, and coexistence of symptoms in the first six weeks following discharge after open heart surgery, and evaluate their relationships with age, gender, and operation type.
Prospective cohort design analyzing 160 patients (mean age 60.7 years; 68.1% male, 31.9% female) undergoing open heart surgery between July 2023 and November 2023.
Surgical procedures comprised coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG, 62.5%), isolated valve surgery (11.8%), and combined operations (25.6%).
Complaints and time of onset over 6 post-discharge weeks were evaluated using chi-squared tests, Fisher's exact tests, t-tests, and multiple correspondence analysis.
The most common complaints were sleep disorder (45.6%), dyspnea (37.5%), chest pain (33.1%), and arm and shoulder pain (32.5%), while sternal dehiscence (6.8%) and physical activity limitation (6.2%) were least common.
Wound infection occurred in 43.1% of women compared with 21.1% of men (p=0.004), sleep disorder in 56.8% of women versus 40.3% of men (p=0.05), leg pain in 33% of CABG versus 10.5% of isolated valve cases (p=0.03), and anxiety in 31.5% of isolated valve versus 9.7% of combined cases (p=0.02).
Dyspnea was significantly more frequent with older age (p=0.01), whereas sexual activity disorder was more frequent at younger ages (p=0.03); anxiety developed earliest (mean day 2) and sexual activity disorder latest (mean week 6).

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=160)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

How do gender, age, and operation type affect early postoperative complaints after open heart surgery?

P

Population

160 patients (mean age 60.7 years, 31.9% female) who underwent open heart surgery via median sternotomy, followed prospectively for 6 weeks post-discharge to assess early postoperative complaints.

E

Exposure

Open heart surgery (CABG, isolated valve, or combined operations)

O

Outcome

Frequency, onset time, and coexistence of symptoms and findings in the first 6 weeks after dischargepatient reported

Post-discharge complaints after open heart surgery vary significantly by gender, age, and operation type, highlighting the need for tailored postoperative education and care.

Limitations

Single-center study
Wide age range
Relatively low number of cases other than CABG
Inability to classify surgery types more specifically due to the small number of non-CABG cases
single-center study
wide age range
relatively low number of cases other than CABG
inability to classify surgery types more specifically due to small number

Implication

Sleep disturbance may warrant routine screening after open heart surgery; hypothesis-generating for prospective intervention trials.

Discussion

No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.

Cite This Study

Mehmet Işık (2026) conducted an observational in Open heart surgery (n=160). Open heart surgery was evaluated on Frequency of sleep disorder (most common complaint). In the first 6 weeks after open heart surgery, the most common complaints were sleep disorder (45.6%), dyspnea (37.5%), and chest pain (33.1%), with symptom frequency varying significantly by gender, age, and operation type.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a2ba3a28101cf8926f024c6 https://doi.org/10.56752/mevmedsci.2026.105

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark

Share

Gender, Age, and Operation Type Differences in Early Postoperative Complaints After Open Heart Surgery

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Limitations

Implication

Discussion

Cite This Study

Gender, Age, and Operation Type Differences in Early Postoperative Complaints After Open Heart Surgery

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Limitations

Implication

Discussion

Cite This Study

Keep reading

Keep reading