Quality of life for patients after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery

Background Understanding the quality of life of patients following coronary artery bypass grafting is crucial for improving g post-operative management and long-term patient outcomes. Our study aimed to assess the QoL of patients post-CABG and identify the factors that influence their ability to perform daily activities. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at our cardiac surgery unit. Patients aged 18 years or older who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting surgery and who had completed at least six months of recovery following their surgery were selected through convenience sampling from hospital records. The collected data were reviewed and followed up through phone interviews via the SF-36 questionnaire. Results The study evaluated 139 patients (median age: 61 years; 79.1% male), predominantly Egyptian (98.6%) and married (82.7%). The majority were nonsmokers (45.3%) or ex-smokers (40.3%), with common comorbidities including hypertension (68.3%), dyslipidemia (57.6%), and diabetes mellitus (47.5%). Self-assessed health status was rated as excellent or very good by 46% of the patients. Quality of life, assessed via the SF-36, revealed median scores for physical functioning (40), general health (50), social functioning (77.5), and overall QOL (60). QOL was positively correlated with multiple health domains, particularly physical and role limitations (p < 0.001). Gender analysis indicated that males scored higher in physical functioning (p = 0.007), but no significant differences were observed in overall QOL. Marital status, sleep duration, and hypertension were significant factors influencing QOL, with optimal outcomes linked to 6–8 hours of sleep. Smoking status and family cardiac history had no significant impact on QOL. Conclusion This study highlights quality of life post-CABG, and reveals that ideal sleep duration (6–8 hours), marital status and ex-smoking are key predictors of improved QoL. Hypertension negatively affected QoL, whereas factors, such as comorbidities, smoking, and dyslipidemia were not significantly correlated. The findings stress the need for interventions targeting sleep, hypertension control, and social support during recovery. Further comparative studies are needed to assess QoL in patients undergoing both CABG and PCI.