OBJECTIVE: To assess presence of symptoms of depression in the in the preoperative period, immediate postoperative period (IPP) and in the late postoperative period (LPP) in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing bypass surgery and its impact on early and late postoperative morbidity. METHOD: Fifty-eight inpatients waiting to undergo an elective bypass surgery completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) before surgery (Period I), after surgery just before hospital discharge (Period II) and three months later (Period III). Patients mean age was 61.2 (34 to 78 years; SD: 10.1), 34 (58.6%) were male, 31 (55.4%) had a history of infarction, 35 (62.5%) had ejection fraction >40% and 19 (33.0%) had diabetes. RESULTS: Depression symptoms were identified in 12 (20.7%) patients in Period I, 13 (23.6%) in Period II and four (9.8%) in Period III. Eighteen (31.0%) patients had complications in the IPP, 17 (34.0%) in the LPP. IPP complications were more frequent for older patients (more than 65 years; p=0.003), with at least three grafts (p=0.001) and depression in Period I (p=0.011). When those variables were associated with complications on the LPP, there was a significant difference for females (p=0.006) and depression in Period II (p=0.008). Female patients had more depression symptoms while staying in hospital (p=0.04). CONCLUSION: More than 65 years, females, three or more grafts and depression symptoms in the postoperative period were associated with more complications after bypass surgery. Patients undergoing bypass surgery should be carefully monitored for depression and treated if necessary since it may be associated with complications after surgery.
Coronary disease; Depression; Myocardial revascularization
