Expert Answer by Barry M. Massie
Heart surgery -- or even receiving a diagnosis of heart disease -- can change someone's personality, pretty much like any psychological trauma. Sometimes there can be changes in the brain related to the surgery that cause personality changes, but more often it's just the shock of recognizing that you have a serious condition.
Depression may also be a factor. Depression is fairly common following heart surgery or heart attacks, when patients feel scared or helpless. Counseling or support groups may help him to come to terms with his condition.
In any case, your father-in-law should discuss his change in outlook with his physician, because it's also possible that his mood may be a side effect of one of his medications.
Answer
I had a cabgx4 4 years ago. Mine was a little different in that I had a heart attack and they opened me up immediately. Any way I digress. I was fine for the first year. And then I gradually started to to resent my family. (All except my daughter) I felt that they were a bunch of money grubbing blood suckers and I was fed up with it. I bought a 32" sailboat and then bought a house on the water to keep it at. My point is that I believe that I spoke with God. I've seen mortality for what it is. It's natural. we've completed our work here and it's time to rest. I no longer fear death. I no longer have any patience for the ungrateful or the unfeeling. Iknow they mean well, but it's their agenda that they are selling. I ain't buying. Just cut us a little slack. Talk to us. Find out how we feel and what we want. We're the one on the short string. It didn't matter that I didn't know how to sail, I learned. Now I'm wasting time in style.
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I have seen this with my grandfather as well. There are lots of things that can factor into the emotional changes that are separate from actual surgery itself.
In my grandfather's situation, a lot of it appears to be fear. The realization of his dangerous condition and the brevity remaining in his life has caused him to turn very inward. He won't do anything or go anywhere and generally just gets easily angered.
There are apparently some real anger-type side effects with heart bypass too. There is an interesting article on Bill Clinton regarding this...
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2008other/080412clinton.htm
I hope this helps and that your step father is doing better now, you may also want to take a look at heartbypass.org for more information on heart bypass surgery in general. It may be in his best interest to go ahead and start seeing a therapist - however I know that there is a lot of resistance to this kind of thing.
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