How does Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Affect Body Image?

Background: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is commonly used to treat coronary artery disease. However, it is associated with significant physical and psychological problems. Objectives: This study was conducted to examine how body image changes after CABG surgery. Methods: This descriptive‑correlational study was conducted on 140 patients consecutively recruited from Shahid Beheshti Medical Center, Kashan, Iran. The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire was used to assess the body image (BI) before, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after the surgery (T1–T3). The independent‑samples t‑test and one‑way and the repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted for data analysis. Results: Participants’ possessed 60.69 ± 5.74, 67.67 ± 4.48, and 69.67 ± 3.37 percent of the BI scores at T1 to T3, respectively. The variations of BI scores were statistically significant across the measurement time points (P = 0.01). Male participants’ BI was significantly better than females only at T2 (P < 0.01). BI had significant relationships with age, marital status, and educational status at T1, and employment status at T1 and T2 (P < 0.05). Similarly, single patients had better BI than their married counterparts (P = 0.02). Conclusions: CABG surgery improves BI. Considering the effects of BI on the patients' self-care behaviors, nurses should assess the cardiac patients BI, especially before surgery and employ programs for improving the patients BI.