A retrospective multicenter study on long-term prevalence of XXXX after cardiac surgery.

@entity1 @entity1118 @entity158
BACKGROUND: There are limited data on sternotomy as a cause of chronic @entity158 , mainly restricted to 1 year after surgery. AIMS: To assess the prevalence of chronic @entity158 and its interference on daily living. METHODS: In three groups of @entity1 , a standardized telephone interview was obtained at 3 months (n=313), 1 year (n=313), and 3 years (n=319) following the rehabilitation program after cardiac surgery, in 11 rehabilitation centers. Presence, site, and the severity and interference of @entity158 on selected daily living items were assessed. RESULTS: The prevalence of @entity158 after cardiac surgery was 35.3% in the 3-month group, 26.8% in the 1-year group, and 19.8% in the 3-year group (P<0.0001). @entity158 in the 3-year group was rated as moderate to severe in one-third of the @entity1 . In @entity1 aged above 75 years, the prevalence of @entity158 in the 3-month and the 3-year group was nonsignificantly different [34.2 and 29.3%, respectively (NS)]. In the 3-month group, @entity158 was more frequent in the female (51.4%) than in the male @entity1 (31.3%; P<0.01); in the remaining groups, a comparable prevalence was documented. CONCLUSION: Results form this large, retrospective, multicenter survey indicated that one out of five @entity1 still complain @entity158 at 3 years after cardiac surgery; persistence of @entity158 was more common in the older @entity1 . The approach to management of @entity1118 by cardiologists and cardiac surgeons should be improved.
