Background: Sexual dysfunction is one of the most common problems in
men after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Etiology of sexual
dysfunction in these patients may be psychological or organic due to
hormonal changes. Objective: The purpose was to evaluate the incidence
and type of sexual dysfunction and changes in serum concentration of
sex hormones in male patients undergoing on-pump CABG. Materials and
Methods: In this before and after study we enrolled 40 men aged less
than 70 years who were candidate for on-pump CABG. Interviews were done
by a physician before and 12 weeks after the operation in regard to the
impact of surgery on their sexual activities. The serum levels of 6 sex
hormones were also determined. The statistical tests used for data
analysis included analysis of variance, McNemar's test and chi-square
analysis. Results: The mean±SD age of the patients was
51.27±7.86 years. Incidence of sexual dysfunction was 22.5% (9
cases) before and 47.7% (19 cases) after operation. Types of sexual
dysfunction were premature ejaculation (5% before, 2.5% after),
impotence (7.5% before, 12.5% after) and loss of libido (10% before,
32% after). The level of sex hormones were generally decreased after
operation but it was statistically significant only for estrogen
(p-value=0.02). Conclusion: Sexual dysfunction and reduction in serum
level of sex hormones are common in patients before on-pump CABG and
mostly get worse after surgery. Complementary studies are suggested for
prevention and treatment of sexual dysfunction
