Characteristics of anxiety about returning to work after implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation in Japan.

Background: Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation is an established treatment that reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death; however, patients with ICD have been shown to be anxious. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of anxiety about returning to work after ICD implantation and to explore reemployment support.

Methods: Data from 56,002 patients who worked before admission to the cardiology department were analyzed using the Inpatient Clinico-Occupational Database of the Rosai Hospital Group (2011-2022). The patients were further categorized into two groups depending on whether ICD surgery was performed during hospitalization. Among patients who had undergone ICD surgery, multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the relationships between the prehospitalization occupational data, clinical data, and anxiety about returning to work.

Results: The ICD group had a higher rate of anxiety about returning to work than the non-ICD group (26.2 % vs. 16.1 %; p < 0.001). In the ICD group, younger age at discharge, female sex, self-employed, and longer working hours per day were independently associated with anxiety about returning to work. Among patients experiencing anxiety about returning to work, compared with the non-ICD group, the ICD group had a lower rate of anxiety about workplace understanding (17.9 % vs. 35.0 %; p = 0.008); but a higher rate of anxiety about workplace life (37.5 % vs. 18.3 %; p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The ICD group had a higher rate of anxiety about returning to work. This study suggests that interventions for anxiety about returning to work, especially regarding life in the workplace, are important for working populations with ICDs.