Sexual satisfaction and subjective well-being after heart transplantation

Abstract Introduction Heart transplantation is still the most dominant method used to achieve successful results in treating end-stage heart failure patients. Besides using new medicines, technologies and monitoring of patients" physical condition, overall care should also include monitoring patients’ well–being, which is not often done. The purpose of this study was to undertake a sexual satisfaction and subjective well-being after heart transplantation. Methods The study was conducted on a random sample of 30 patients who had heart transplantation. The data were collected prospectively during a visit to the clinic. Sexual satisfaction was measured by short form of the New Scale of Sexual Satisfaction. The questionnaire consists of twelve items in which patients evaluate their satisfaction with sexual domains. Subjective well-being was measured by the Personal Wellbeing Index. The questionnaire consists of seven items in which patients evaluate their satisfaction with some domains of life. All reported values have been converted onto a standard 0-100 range. The values were given as mean (M) and standard deviation (SD). The differences were tested by the t-test. The result of the questionnaire was determined by correlation analysis and multiple regression. Results The mean age of participants was 59.5 ± 7.3, most of them were male (80%) and married (76%). The mean score on the sexual satisfaction scale was 30.7 ± 9.9. Compared to the results of the general population 46,9 ± 8,5 result are significantly unfavorable (p<.001). The overall subjective well-being was 75.0 ± 13.2 within the normative range. Compared to women, men were significantly more satisfied with sex life, 33.40 ±8.33 vs 20.20 ±9.41 (p=.005), significantly higher well-being 77.3 ± 13.8; vs 65.7 ± 2.4 (p=.002). Patients who were married had significantly greater satisfaction with sex lives 33,1 ± 9,1 than singles 23,1 ± 9,2 (p=.029), whereas this difference was not observed with respect to well-being 75,4 ± 12,4 vs 73,5 ± 16,67 (p=.764). Positive and significant correlations were found between sexual satisfaction and subjective well-being (.60; p=.002) as well as negative, between sexual satisfaction and female gender (-.54; p=.005). Results of multiple regression of the model that included the predictors: subjective well-being, gender and marital status has shown predictive success of the model explains about 56% of sexual satisfaction variance. Sexual satisfaction was a significant predictor in explaining 33% of variance in subjective well-being. Conclusion(s) Subjective well-being is satisfactory after successful heart transplantation, but sexual satisfaction is poorly. It takes a certain time for some patients to adapt to new life situations but gender and marital status play an important role. Further studies which will include more patients, especially women and young, should be made to evaluate variables associated with sexual satisfaction of patients after heart transplantation.