Sleep and quality of life in cardiac surgery

Abstract

Cardiac surgical procedures, especially coronary artery bypass surgery used to treat coronary artery disease (CAD), is most frequently utilized in the USA, but utilization of this procedure is increasing in countries that have not in the past used such high-technology health care interventions. Most people experience improvements in multiple dimensions of quality of life, especially those associated with mobility and physical activity. Sleep disturbance is common pre-operatively and extends through the recovery period, but appears to improve over the long term and may contribute to various dimensions of quality of life. The purposes of this chapter are to review the literature on dimensions of quality of life and sleep and the relationships between sleep and quality of life among cardiac surgical patients and to propose implications for future research. © 2008 Humana Press, Totowa, NJ.