Factors Related to the Early Phase of Rehabilitation Following Aortocoronary Bypass Surgery

Physical and psychosocial functioning of 30 male patients prior to and 3 months following aortocoronary bypass surgery were compared. Relationships between rehabilitation outcome and selected physical, psychosocial, and health care system variables were examined. Although patients' perceptions of their health improved after surgery, there was little improvement in physical and psychosocial functioning, and vocational functioning declined. When the outcome variables were regressed on their possible explanatory variables, the variance in exercise tolerance and energy expenditure on household activities remained unexplained. Energy expenditure on postoperative leisure activities was related to fear of injury. Preoperative psychosocial functioning, depression, and postoperative perception of health explained postoperative psychosocial functioning. Postoperative perception of health dependent on the number of bypass grafts and spouse's/family's fear of patients' injury.