Long-term effects of heart transplantation: the gap between physical performance and emotional well-being

Bunzel, B; Laederach-Hofmann, K (1999). Long-term effects of heart transplantation: the gap between physical performance and emotional well-being. Scandinavian journal of rehabilitation medicine, 31(4), pp. 214-22. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell

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The purpose of our study was to assess physical and emotional factors in heart transplant patients. A prospective design was used to compare patients' physical symptoms, emotional complaints, and restrictions at admission to the waiting list, immediately after, and 1 and 5 years after heart transplantation. Thirty-three patients were included (30 male, 3 female) in the study. Their mean age at admission was 48 +/- 10.2 years. Of these, 23 suffered from cardiomyopathy, 8 from coronary heart disease, and 2 from valvular insufficiency. At admission, the patients suffered from symptoms of cardiac insufficiency, and were restricted in sports, gardening, hobbies, sexual life, job, food-intake, and mobility. More than three-fourths rated their physical and emotional status as moderate to poor. Emotionally, they suffered from irritability, restlessness, depression, psychic lability, lowered drive, lack of social contact, low self-esteem, and anxiety. At the end of rehabilitation (4-8 weeks after the operation), all physical and emotional complaints, as well as restrictions had significantly decreased (p < 0.0001 to p < 0.001), except for trembling, numbness of hands/feet, and food-intake. One year postoperatively, patients reported even fewer physical complaints (p < 0.01). Three-fourths rated their physical and emotional status good or excellent. Five years postoperatively--in contrast to physical status, restrictions, and physical complaints--the emotional complaints had increased significantly (p < 0.0001). Patients reported excellent physical performance up to 5 years postoperatively. On the other hand, the study revealed that their emotional well-being had significantly deteriorated from 1 to 5 years postoperatively. Attention should, therefore, not only be paid to the good physical health of the survivors, but also to the worsening of their emotional status.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition
UniBE Contributor:	Laederach, Kurt
ISSN:	0036-5505
ISBN:	10599898
Publisher:	Almqvist & Wiksell
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 15:02
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:19
PubMed ID:	10599898
Web of Science ID:	000083902900003
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/26715 (FactScience: 86996)