Long-term chest wall discomfort in women after coronary artery bypass grafting

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to determine the occurrence of long-term chest wall discomfort in women after coronary artery bypass grafting. DESIGN: Prospective repeated-measures design. SETTING: Posthospitalization. SAMPLE: Fifty-one women who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting. Data were collected at 12 and 18 months by self-report and data collection instruments. INSTRUMENTS: Life Orientation Test, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Profile of Mood States, Sickness Impact Profile, interview schedule, and discomfort scale 0 to 10. RESULTS: Women who had an internal mammary artery graft had significantly (p = 0.003) more dis comfort. Most discomforts were intermittent and did not interfere with daily activities. However, the feelings of numbness and itchiness tended to be continuous.