"No more couch-potato!" Patients' experiences of a pre-operative programme of cardiac rehabilitation for those awaiting coronary artery bypass surgery.

BACKGROUND

The waiting period for coronary artery bypass surgery is a difficult time for patients and families. Pre-operative cardiac rehabilitation may be safe and effective, but there is limited evidence regarding patients' experience and perceptions of such intervention.

OBJECTIVE

To describe patients' experiences of a pre-operative programme of cardiac rehabilitation developed specifically for those awaiting coronary artery bypass surgery.

METHODS

A convenience sample of eight patients awaiting non-urgent surgery who had completed a 12 week pilot programme of cardiac rehabilitation were invited to be interviewed using a descriptive phenomenological approach. Domicillary interviews using an open technique were taped, transcribed and analysed using Colaizzi's framework.

RESULTS

Participants described this programme as a useful means of improving exercise capacity and decreasing anxiety. Through the combination of exercise, advice and support participants stated that their initial fear that exercise would cause a heart attack was replaced with confidence, enabling them to become fitter and modify other risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of this study suggest that the programme was acceptable and perceived as beneficial by participants. Further research is required to evaluate the efficacy of pre-operative rehabilitation on risk factor modification.