BackgroundThere is limited information available to help women gauge their functional status following coronary artery bypass graft surgery.ObjectiveThis article describes changes in functional status and the influence of comorbidity, household composition, fatigue, and surgical pain on functional status in women during the first 6 weeks at home following coronary artery bypass surgery.MethodA single-group longitudinal design was used for this research. Women were interviewed in person before hospital discharge and by telephone at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after discharge. Functional status was assessed by (a) the Inventory of Functional Status in the Elderly and subscales of the Sickness Impact Profile; (b) comorbid conditions by simple tally; and (c) fatigue and surgical pain by the Energy/Fatigue and Pain Severity subscales of the MOS Patient Assessment Questionnaire.ResultsWomen experienced significant gains in functional status over 6 weeks, particularly between 2 and 4 weeks. They engaged most frequently in personal care and low-level household activities during the study period, and most reported improvement in their overall functional status. None of the women were completely recovered or had regained baseline functional status by 6 weeks. The women experienced significant decreases in fatigue and surgical pain, but continued to experience both at 6 weeks. Fatigue and surgical pain were significantly correlated at all time periods.DiscussionInformation about recovery following coronary artery bypass graft, and particularly the finding that recovery is incomplete by 6 weeks, should be incorporated into discharge planning and follow-up for this patient population.