Anxiety and fear in patients with short waiting times before coronary artery bypass surgery – a qualitative study
Abstract
Aims and objectives To obtain qualitative information on fears and anxieties of coronary artery bypass grafting patients with short waiting periods (up to a maximum of four weeks) before surgery. Background Coronary artery bypass grafting is a standard procedure in cardiac surgery. However, many patients suffer significant anxiety and fear before the operation. Preoperative anxiety and fear correlate with adverse outcomes, but there is a lack of data on the emotional stressors for patients with short waiting periods as applicable in Germany. This knowledge would be a prerequisite for the development of in-hospital interventions to reduce patients' anxieties and fears. Design An exploratory study was chosen to learn about patients' anxieties and fears. Method The day before coronary artery bypass grafting, 24 patients were examined with respect to their emotional experience using semi-structured interviews. The results were categorised by inductive content analysis. Results The overall waiting time for coronary artery bypass grafting was 6 ± 6 days. According to the analysis, the patients' statements were grouped in 'fears', 'negation of fears' and 'other emotional and physical conditions'. The interviews could cover all categories simultaneously. Eighteen patients mentioned fears, and most of them referred to specific issues. However, 16 of the 18 patients also named nonspecific fears and uncertainties. Fifteen patients negated fear. Twenty-three patients described their emot…
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Waiting for planned cardiac surgery may cause uncertainty, psychological distress, anger, or disappointment and negatively impact quality of life.
“Waiting for planned cardiac surgery may cause uncertainty, psychological distress, anger, or disappointment and negatively impacting the patient's quality of life (AL-Hassan et al., 2014;Carr et al., 2017;Feuchtinger et al., 2014;McCormick et al., 2006;Teo et al., 1998).”
From Postponement of elective cardiac surgery: A prospective observational analysis of anxiety, depression, social support and clinical complications. (2023) · cites this paper as Feuchtinger et al., 2014
Duration of waiting time may influence patients' psychological outcome.
“In addition, the duration of the waiting time may also influence the patients' psychological outcome (Feuchtinger et al., 2014).”
From Postponement of elective cardiac surgery: A prospective observational analysis of anxiety, depression, social support and clinical complications. (2023) · cites this paper as Feuchtinger et al., 2014
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Background
- Authors
- Feuchtinger, J., Burbaum, C., Heilmann, C., Imbery, C., Siepe, M., Stotz, U., Fritzsche, K., & Beyersdorf, F.
- Affiliations
- University Medical Center Freiburg (DE)
- University of Freiburg (DE)
- Universitäts-Herzzentrum Freiburg-Bad Krozingen (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Feuchtinger, Johanna
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Nursing
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2013-12-27
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 13-14
- Pages
- 1900-1907
- ISSN
- 0962-1067 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2702
- OpenAlex
- W2154095604
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 0.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Cardiac and Coronary Surgery Techniques
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- preoperative anxiety, preoperative fear, coronary artery bypass grafting, patient emotions, uncertainty, frustration, somatic symptoms, cardiac surgery patients
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Aged, Anxiety, Coronary Artery Bypass, Fear, Female, Germany, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Waiting Lists
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