Researchers in a study found that no skillful surgeon and nursing staff can help a patient who has undergone cardiac surgery to recover faster. They study found that married patients recover fast after heart surgery as compared to single or divorced patients.

The findings of the study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that love and companionship are very necessary majorly in the case of patients who have undergone cardiac surgery.

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that patients who are divorced, separated or widowed had an approximately 40% higher chance of dying or developing new functional disability in the first two years following cardiac surgery than their patients living with a partner.

Study co-author Mark Neuman said, “While it has been established that the chances of survival following major surgery may be better among married versus unmarried persons, it is not known how marriage 'marries' with actual postoperative function”.

Neuman insisted on the point that understanding this might help them identify patients who may be in higher need of additional support to improve functional recovery.

Researchers for the study gathered and assembled data from more than 1,500 adults age 50 years and older. All these people were interviewed every two years since 1998. They were asked about their health, functioning, medical care, and family structure, Medical Daily reported.

At the time of interview 65% were married, 12% divorced or separated, 21% widowed and 2% were never married. Compared with subjects who were married in the beginning of the study, the odds for death or new functional disability in the first two years of the surgery was 40% among divorced, separated or widowed.