Marriage boosts heart surgery recovery

A recent study has linked being married to better outcomes following a heart surgery.

Among more than 1,500 adults who underwent cardiac surgery, those who were divorced, separated, or widowed were more likely to have died or develop a new functional disability after the surgery compared with the married participants, as per the study.

Chances of survival after major surgery may be better among married vs unmarried persons, but little is known regarding the association between marital status and postoperative function.

Characterizing the association between marital status and postoperative function may be useful for counseling patients and identifying at-risk groups that may benefit from targeted interventions aimed at improving functional recovery.

Mark D. Neuman and Rachel M. Werner of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia wrote that these findings extend prior work suggesting postoperative survival advantages for married people and may relate to the role of social supports in influencing patients' choices of hospitals and their self-care.

They added that their findings suggest "that marital status is a predictor of survival and functional recovery after cardiac surgery. Further research is needed to define the mechanisms linking marital status and postoperative outcomes."

The study is published online by JAMA Surgery.