Sexual rehabilitation after myocardial infarction and coronary bypass surgery: Why do we not perform our job?

Abstract

Background/Aim. There is a perception that in patients with heart diseases in Serbia sexual rehabilitation does not exist. Why do we not perform our job? A kind of resistance to sexual rehabilitation is common for heart disease patients. Prejudices regarding patients' sexuality, fear and limited knowledge are not rare among the members of medical staff. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge on sexual rehabilitation, inner sense during conversation on sexual rehabilitation and quality of sexual life in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and bypass surgery (BPS). Also, we wanted to assess an opinion of the medical staff members about that. Methods. We performed a prospective nonrandomized clinical study, which involved 40 participants: ten patients, six partners and twenty four medical staff members. All participants were tested by the self-created questionnaires. The main issues of observation were: knowledge about sexual rehabilitation, quality of sexual life and inner sense during conversation on sexual rehabilitation. The data were analyzed by the Shapiro-Wilk test, Kolmogorov Smirnov test, Mann Whitney Exact test and Fishers Exact test. Statistical significance was set up to p < 0.05. Results. There was a statistically significant difference among the participants regarding an attitude when sexual activity should be resumed after MI or BPS. The members of medical staff had a significantly different opinion about the most important team members responsible for sexual rehabilitation performance. There was a statistically significant difference (p = 0.01) in quality of patient's sexual life after MI or BPS (score: 14.2 ? 5.5) in relation to conditions before them (score: 21.3 ? 3.1). The members of medical staff had significantly (p = 0.05) worse inner sense (score: 3.8 ? 0.7) during and after fulfilling the questionnaires than the patients (score: 4.6 ? 0.5). Conclusion. Ignorance and prejudices are reasons why we do not perform our job.Uvod/Cilj. Zapazili smo da u Srbiji ne postoji seksualna rehabilitacija bolesnika sa srcanim oboljenjima. Zasto mi ne obavljamo svoj posao? Izvestan otpor prema seksualnoj rehabilitaciji zajednicki je za sve bolesnike sa srcanim oboljenjima. Predrasude u vezi sa seksualnoscu bolesnika, strah i ograniceno znanje nisu retka pojava ni kod clanova medicinskog tima. Cilj ove studije bio je da proverimo unutrasnji osecaj za vreme razgovora o seksualnoj rehabilitaciji i o kvalitetu seksualnog zivota kod bolesnika sa infarktom miokarda, kod bolesnika posle bajpasa (BPS) na koronarnim arterijama, kao i kod clanova medicinskog tima procenimo znanje o seksualnoj rehabilitaciji. Metode. Sproveli smo prospektivnu nerandomiziranu klinicku studiju, koja je ukljucila 40 ucesnika: 10 bolesnika, 6 partnera i 24 clana medicinskog tima. Svi ucesnici bili su testirani popunjavanjem posebno sastavljenih upitnika. Najvaznije tacke opservacije bile su: znanje o seksualnoj rehabilitaciji, kvalitet seksualnog zivota, unutrasnji osecaj za vreme razgovora o seksualnoj rehabilitaciji. Podaci su analizirani pomocu Shapiro Wilk testa, Holmogorov Smirnov testa, Mann Whitney Exact testa i Fishers Exact testa, a statisticka znacajnost prihvacena je na nivou p < 0,05. Rezultati. Pronadjena je statisticki znacajna razlika izmedju ucesnika u vezi njihovog misljenja u kom razmaku posle infarkta miokarda, odnosno koronarnog bajpasa seksualna aktivnost treba da bude obnovljena. Clanovi medicinskog tima imali su veoma razlicita misljenja koji clanovi tima su najodgovorniji za seksualnu rehabilitaciju. Ustanovljena je statisticki znacajna razlika (p = 0,01) u kvalitetu seksualnog zivota bolesnika posle infarkta miokarda ili BPS (skor: 14,2 ? 5,5) u odnosu na kvalitet pre ovih okolnosti (skor: 21,3 ? 3,1). Clanovi medicinskog tima imali su znacajno (p = 0,05) losiji unutrasnji osecaj (skor: 3,8 ? 0,7) za vreme i posle popunjavanja upitnika nego bolesnici (skor: 4,6 ? 0,5). Zakljucak. Neznanje i predrasude razlozi su zbog kojih mi ne obavljamo svoj posao.