Comparison of the Effects of Guided Imagery and Progressive Muscle Relaxation on Quality of Life of Patients Undergoing the Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is commonly performed to treat the symptoms of the coronary artery disease. Evidences suggest that relaxation therapies may improve psychological outcomes in patients with heart diseases. This study aimed to compare the effects of progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery on the quality of life of patients undergoing the coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
In this randomized clinical trial study, 49 patients who were scheduled for the coronary artery bypass graft surgery and hospitalized in the medical educational center of Ayatollah Mousavi, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, were recruited using the convenience sampling method. Participants were randomly assigned into the guided imagery group (n = 27) and progressive muscle relaxation group (n = 22). The quality of life was measured using the Macnew quality of life questionnaire before performing the coronary artery bypass graft surgery and then 2 months after training and doing relaxation by the participants. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 17.
Results of this study showed a significant increase in the quality of life in two groups after the intervention (P It seems that both guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation as relaxation techniques can be effective in improving the quality of life of patients undergoing the coronary artery bypass graft surgery. These techniques can be used in discharge planning of patients undergoing the coronary artery bypass graft surgery.