Older Adult Narrative of the Experience of Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

Cardiac surgery is frequently performed as a surgical intervention within the United States; but there is little known about how the older adult (70 years of age or greater) experiences cardiac surgery and recovery over time. This qualitative research study utilized narrative methodology to interview 13 older adults to inform understanding of the older adult's cardiac surgical experience. The purpose of this study was to describe the story of the older adult both coming to surgery (preoperative period) and during the transitional time of the acute recovery period following cardiac surgery (up to 8 weeks after cardiac surgery). The primary research question asked was "What stories do older adults tell of their experience of cardiac surgery from the preoperative period through the first 2 months postoperatively?" Using narrative analysis of participant discourse, consisting of both structural (re-storying of narrative content) and thematic analysis of interview content, there emerged an overarching story of older adult experience of cardiac surgery which can be described thematically as: Moving toward healing: engaged in and appreciating life while conscious of time passing amidst the primacy and struggle of the symptom experience. Knowledge gained from this study can help to broaden the understanding of the experience and the trajectory of older adult recovery after cardiac surgery, and also serves to inform nursing education and practice models, nursing interventions, instrument development and innovative models of care designed to support the perioperative care of older adults.