REHABILITATION AFTER CORONARY-BYPASS SURGERY - COPING STRATEGIES PREDICT METABOLIC IMPROVEMENT AND RETURN TO WORK

Thirty-six consecutive male patients who underwent coronary bypass sur gery were investigated before and repeatedly up to 5 years after surge ry. We followed the patients' physical capacity, dietary and exercise habits, mood, perception of health and return to work. Discriminant an alysis identified four variables from the preoperative interview and t he psychological tests which correctly classified 22 out of 24 patient s into either metabolic responders - who were characterized by favoura ble changes in their lipoprotein profile, related to a successful clin ical outcome - or non-responders. Responders were found to acknowledge subjective, emotional aspects of their situation whereas non-responde rs minimised their disease. Six preoperative variables successfully pr edicted the classification of all but one patient into full-time worke rs or not, one year after surgery. Full-time workers were more frequen t among minimizers. The results suggest that whereas minimising of dis ease is adaptive in a short-term perspective, acknowledgement may be s uccessful in the long run.