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Recovery of Self-Reported Functional Capacity After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery^*

^* From the Carolinas Medical Center (Drs. Norton, Ramp, Fedor, Kiebzak, and Cook, and Ms. Pierson), Charlotte, NC; and Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise (Mr. Pierson and Dr. Herbert), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.

Correspondence to: Lee M. Pierson, MS, 215 War Memorial Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061; e-mail: Lpierson{at}vt.edu

Study objectives: This study was conducted to determine the effects of age, gender, comorbid conditions, and exercise on the recovery of self-reported functional capacity after coronary artery surgery, and to identify predictors of 1-year functional capacity.

Patients: One hundred ninety-eight patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Measurements and results: Self-reported functional capacity was evaluated before surgery, and 3 months and 1 year postoperatively using the Veterans Specific Activity Questionnaire (VSAQ). Patients were classified into groups based on age, gender, comorbid conditions, and postoperative exercise. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to determine if groups differed with respect to functional capacity recovery and multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of 1-year VSAQ score. A significant time by age interaction was found (p = 0.0001), with a more protracted recovery for older patients. There were significant group effects for gender (p = 0.0001), and presence of comorbid conditions (p = 0.0009); however, there were no time/group interactions for these variables. A significant group effect was found for postoperative exercise (p = 0.0001), with a trend toward group/time interaction (p = 0.096). Predictors of 1-year functional capacity were VSAQ score in the year prior to surgery and performance of regular aerobic exercise in the postoperative period.

Conclusions: This study suggests that older patients attain good self-reported functional outcomes after surgery; however, the time course for recovery is more protracted than for younger patients. Functional capacity in the year prior to surgery and postoperative exercise are key predictors of 1-year functional capacity.

Key Words: coronary artery bypass surgery • elderly • functional capacity

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				D. Treat-Jacobson and R. A. Lindquist Functional Recovery and Exercise Behavior in Men and Women 5 to 6 Years Following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery West J Nurs Res, August 1, 2004; 26(5): 479 - 498. [Abstract] [PDF]