Patient perceptions of recovery from coronary artery bypass grafting after discharge from the hospital.

Prior research has demonstrated that providing patients with descriptions of impending experiences in the form of concrete sensory information enhances recovery. Sensory information reflects the experience from the patient's point of view as it describes what the patient can expect. The purpose of this study was to describe recovery from coronary artery bypass surgery from the patients' perspective over a 2-month period after discharge from the hospital. Thirty-four subjects were interviewed via telephone six times over an 8-week period after discharge. Patients described general feelings of well-being, occurrences of symptoms (fatigue, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, changes in bowel function, incisional and nonincisional discomforts), activity level, and changes in mood. Data can be used in postoperative teaching by giving patients a standard against which to compare their own experience. The ability to anticipate possible symptoms can be helpful to patients in making appropriate plans for activities during the recovery period.