Conclusions. Patients with short waiting periods before coronary artery bypass
grafting experience specific as well as nonspecific fears on the day before surgery.
In contrast to patients with long waiting (longer than four weeks), uncertainty
and frustration about waiting time and feelings of disability are no concerns.
Relevance to clinical practice. The detailed insight into the emotional experiences
of patients with a short waiting time before coronary artery bypass grafting
surgery is a basis for targeted anxiety-reducing interventions.