The long-term effect of perioperative myocardial infarction on health-related quality-of-life after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effect of perioperative myocardial infarction (PMI) on outcomes and health-related quality-of-life (QOL) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods: Eighty of the 501 patients (16%) fulfilled electrocardiogram or cardiac enzyme criteria for PMI and were compared with patients with no PMI. The RAND-36 Health Survey was used as an indicator of QOL. Assessments were made preoperatively and repeated 1 year and 12 years later.

Results: Thirty-day mortality was adversely affected by PMI (6.3 vs 1.0%, P = 0.001). One-year survival rates for PMI and no-PMI patients were 92.5 and 97.6%, 10-year rates being 72.5 and 79.8%. One year after the surgery, PMI patients improved in seven and no-PMI patients in all the eight RAND-36 dimensions. In the 12-year follow-up, the scores showed a general decline tendency. PMI patients still maintained a significant improvement in four and no-PMI patients in seven of eight dimensions when compared with the baseline scores. A highly significant improvement was seen in the RAND-36 mental and physical component summary scores in the no-PMI group 1 year after CABG. PMI patients improved also significantly although the magnitude of change was lower. In the 12-year follow-up, there was a general decline tendency in the scores. Both groups showed similar freedom from anginal symptoms at 12 years.

Conclusions: Although PMI has a negative impact on health-related QOL 1 year after CABG, this effect is only minor in the long term. PMI increases 30-day mortality but shows no effect on later mortality.