Getting Married Could Help Post-Surgery Recovery

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Thousands of classic jokes poke fun at the stresses of marital life, but science says marriage might actually save our lives. A new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that people who are married face far fewer health complications overall after they have had cardiac surgery than those who were single.

At the end of the study, researchers tallied their survey results and found that patients who had a reliable romantic partner were far more likely to survive and thrive post-surgery than those who were single, widowed or divorced.

The study asked participants who had recently gone through cardiac surgeries how they fared in the following categories: moving, dressing themselves, taking showers or baths, eating, going to the bathroom, and getting in and out of bed. At the end of the study, researchers tallied their survey results and found that patients who had a reliable romantic partner were far more likely to survive and thrive post-surgery than those who were single, widowed or divorced.

Only 19 percent of the married participants died or reported further medical complications post-surgery. This is a similar figure to the patients who were not married, but had romantic partners; 20 percent of these unmarried, partnered patients reported further complications.

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The number of patients who reported complications increased in both the widowed and divorced groups. About 29 percent of the people who were separated or divorced had post-surgery complications, while 39 percent of the people who were widowed experienced the same complications. Widowed people were shown to be most likely to have post-surgery complications.

Researchers are still not certain why people with romantic partners recover better after cardiac surgery than their peers. Some suspect that it has to do with having a stable support system.

Researchers are still not certain why people with romantic partners recover better after cardiac surgery than their peers. Some suspect that it has to do with having a stable support system. People who are married or living with a partner are more likely to have someone in their home who is able and willing to help care for them after surgery. People who are divorced or single do not always have this constant support system in the home.

Researchers explain that marriage alone isn’t necessarily the solution to post-surgery complications. They say that this could be a sign of necessary reform for hospital-run care. Since married and partnered people are more likely to fully recover from surgery, the medical world needs to consider new ways of supporting patients who do not have this additional resource.

In the future, this could mean a more comprehensive post-surgery program that includes hospice-like, around-the-clock care for people post-surgery until they have the chance to regain full physical function. Studies like these could revolutionize the way we handle medical care in the United States beyond what happens on the operating table.