Abstract

Patients who undergo coronary angioplasty have a shorter convalescence than those who undergo coronary bypass surgery. This may improve subsequent employment.To compare employment patterns after coronary angioplasty or surgery.Multicenter, randomized clinical trial.Seven tertiary care hospitals.409 employed patients with multivessel coronary artery disease.Coronary bypass surgery or balloon angioplasty.Time to return to work and time spent working during 4 years of follow-up.Patients who underwent angioplasty returned to work 6 weeks sooner than patients who underwent coronary bypass surgery (P < 0.001), but long-term employment did not differ significantly (P > 0.2). Long-term employment was significantly lower among patients who were 60 to 64 years of age (P < 0.001), those who worked less than full-time at study entry (P < 0.001), and those who had less formal education (P = 0.005). Patients with only one source of health insurance were more likely to continue working (P = 0.005).Faster recovery after angioplasty speeds return to work but does not improve long-term employment, which is primarily associated with nonmedical factors.

View details for PubMedID 9758574