H. Jonsdottir et L. Baldursdottir, THE EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE AWAITING CORONARY-ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT-SURGERY - THE ICELANDIC EXPERIENCE, Journal of advanced nursing, 27(1), 1998, pp. 68-74
Prolonged waiting for major elective surgery has been a problem in sev
eral Western countries for many years. In Iceland coronary artery bypa
ss graft (CABG) surgery was installed in 1986 and this descriptive stu
dy was conducted to describe systematically the experience of Icelandi
c people waiting for CABG surgery with the purpose of gaining informat
ion about what nursing services these people need during the waiting p
eriod. The survey used a mailed questionnaire developed by the authors
. The target population consisted of people awaiting coronary artery b
ypass graft surgery at the National University Hospital in Iceland, at
two predetermined days with a 10-month interval. The return rate was
81.8% (n = 72). Mean time on the waiting list was 5 to 6 months. The w
aiting for surgery had negative effects on the work and daily life of
the majority of the subjects and they were dissatisfied with their hea
lth status. Prominent symptoms were fatigue, shortness of breath, ches
t pain, anxiety and depression. Most patients (86.6%) experienced stre
ss with 28.4% of them reporting a serious level of stress. The majorit
y reported considerable negative influences of their illness on their
spouse and family, particularly on their emotional condition. The conc
lusion drawn is that shortening the waiting period for CABG surgery sh
ould be a primary objective; however, that may be unlikely with the pr
esent Icelandic health care system. Therefore, helping the individuals
and their families live with the lengthy wait is a necessity.