The effects of cardiac surgical procedures on health - related quality of life, cognitive performance, and emotional status outcomes: a prospective 6 - month follow - up study.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to assess the course of health - related quality of life, cognitive and emotional change during the six months after elective CABG, and to investigate how cognitive impairments, depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms were related to quality of life. METHOD In a prospective study, we followed up for 6 months 138 of the original 147 patients who had undergone elective CABG surgery. CONCLUSION Elective CABG is associated with significant improvements in HRQOL relative to the preoperative period, but impairments in HRQOL were found in a subgroup of post - CABG patients with evidence of PTSD, depression, or cognitive impairments at 6 - month follow - up.