Key result
Cardiac valve surgery linked to complete exertional angina or dyspnea relief in ~67% of patients.
Why the study?
Outcomes across physical, psychological, social, and economic domains after cardiac valve surgery were not comprehensively assessed.
Does cardiac valve surgery improve physical, psychologic, social, and economic outcomes in patients requiring valve replacement?
Observational (n=89)
Yes
Does cardiac valve surgery improve physical, psychologic, social, and economic outcomes in patients requiring valve replacement?
Cardiac valve surgery is associated with significant improvements in quality of life, physical function, and symptom relief at six months post-surgery.
May improve symptoms and reduce disability after valve surgery; hypothesis-generating, with randomized trials needed before practice change.
Eighty-nine patients receiving cardiac valve replacement or surgery consisting of valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafts in four teaching hospitals were studied before surgery and again six months after surgery. More than 60 indicators of the quality of life were assessed. The majority of persons showed improvement in physical function, emotional states, and social activity. Of those with exertional angina or dyspnea before surgery, about two thirds were completely relieved at six months after surgery. There was a substantial reduction in number (from 31 to seven) of persons with five or more days of disability per month due to cardiac symptoms. The majority remained the same in their usual level of physical activity, most psychological traits, and attitudes and social support networks. Most previously employed persons returned to work. Improvements in the conditions of patients who had valve surgery closely paralleled those of patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery in the same hospitals.
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C. David Jenkins (1983) conducted an observational in Cardiac valve disease requiring surgery (n=89). Cardiac valve surgery vs. Pre-surgery baseline was evaluated on Quality of life indicators including physical function, emotional states, and social activity. Cardiac valve surgery resulted in complete relief of exertional angina or dyspnea in about two-thirds of patients and reduced the number of persons with ≥5 days of monthly disability from 31 to 7.
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