[Perception of and psychological coping with medical technology. How does the patient perceive percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty?].

BASIC REMARKS: Since, as a result of technological progress, ever more interventions are being carried out in the conscious patient without anesthesia or sedation, psychological coping is an important aspect.

METHODS

Over a period of one year, all patients undergoing coronary artery dilatation at the University Hospital, Frankfurt, were admitted to the study in which the patients and their spouses, as well as the physicians involved were questioned (individual questioning, questionnaires, interviews). In addition, a catamnestic follow-up examination was performed.

RESULTS

In addition to numerous other results, the following major points can be made: most patients coped with the stressful situation by adopting an optimistic attitude, which was combined with trust in the physician and the procedure employed. A very small group of patients can be considered to suffer from appreciable depressivity/anxiety and requires psychotherapeutic support. Days and weeks after the procedure there is a delayed phase of "late coping". In the patients with no major persisting symptoms, there is an increasing tendency in this period to play down the situation, with the result that there may be a lack of readiness to admit the need to change possibly dangerous habits and adopt a different life style.