Gender and Recovery from Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Progress in coronary artery bypass graft surgery has irrefutably improved the quality of life of many patients. However, we are confronted with the finding that women - hibit a higher mortality rate than men. In part, this difference can be explained by clinical parameters such as age, disease severity, or comorbidity – factors that have been well studied, but which do not fully explain the observed differences. This is one reason why, in recent years, psychosocial variables have attracted special atten- on in this context. In fact, women and men having undergone a bypass operation - ry a great deal with respect to, e. g. , depression, partner status, and socio-economic status. Moreover, psychological well-being, on the one hand, and social isolation, on the other hand, definitely influence the recovery process, particularly when consi- red under the gender aspect. The Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin has been actively supporting gender-specific research for many years. In this context, a large prospective study on gender dif- rences in recovery after bypass surgery, carried out by the Competence Network of Heart Failure, was started at our Department for Cardiothoracic and Vascular Sur- ry. From the beginning of the study, psychosocial variables were included as being substantial contributors. The starting point of the study presented here* by psychologist Dr. Friederike Kendel are recent empirical investigations about gender differences in coronary heart disease and the course of recovery after bypass surgery.