Effect of surgical versus medical therapy on return to work in patients with coronary artery disease.

The proportion of medically and surgically treated patients with coronary artery disease working full time 1 year after cardiac catheterization or surgery, respectively, was assessed by questionnaire in a registry of patients who had had coronary angiography. The proportion of medically and surgically treated patients working 3 months before catheterization or surgery was 74 percent (148 of 201) and 75 percent (899 of 1,198), respectively, whereas 62 percent (125 of 201) and 62 percent (747 of 1,198), respectively, were working full time 1 year after catheterization or surgery. Multivariate analysis identified five variables predictive of return to work. In order of significance these were: working status 3 months before surgery or catheterization, years of education, age, functional class before surgery or catheterization and period of not working before surgery or catheterization. Work status 3 months before surgery or catheterization was clearly the best predictor of continued employment 15 months later. Surgical therapy was not more effective than medical therapy in maintaining full-time employment in this registry of patients with coronary artery disease.