Second life after angioplasty: a qualitative study

The aim of this study is to clarify the perception and experience of life in Iranian patients after angioplasty. Regarding the high prevalence of coronary artery disease and increasing number of patients in Iran، and widespread use of medical procedures such as angioplasty for the treatment and due to multiple challenges during the post-treatment which affect different dimensions of lives of patients، an in-depth understanding of the experiences of patients plays a significant role in improving the quality of their lives. Qualitative approach with content analysis method was used to conduct the study. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 20 patients who had experienced angioplasty. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis method. During the process of data analysis، four themes reflected the experience and dimensions of life in patients after angioplasty، which included “rebirth، another opportunity”، “revising lifestyle”، “deciding to modify lifestyle” and “the use of available social support resources”. The results of this study will enhance our understanding of patients'' experiences and this، in turn، can guide health care system to support patient care and planning to promote care and unique counseling programs along with understanding of the real needs of the patients.