Rachell Mitchell, MScRachel Mitchell is an MSc candidate in the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto working in the Women's Health Program at the University Health Network under the supervision of Dr. Donna E. Stewart. Her research is on the differences between men and women undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with a focus on mental health and depression.
Approximately 30% of the 500,000 CABG procedures performed a year in North America are on women, and the percentage continues to rise. Some research suggests that women fare worse than men after CABG surgery, raising crucial questions about the risks and benefits of CABG surgery in women.
In general, CABG surgery improves the quality, rather than the quantity of life; therefore, factors related to the quality of life of CABG patients, such as mental health, are important to consider. Depression is seen in about 20% of patients after CABG surgery and is a major factor affecting long-term cardiac outcome. A better understanding of depression patterns after CABG surgery and the ways in which they differ in men and women may help to explain sex differences in outcome of CABG surgery.
Rachel's research followed men and women undergoing elective CABG surgery over time, and found that women were more depressed than men before surgery but improved to a level comparable to men after surgery, even after controlling for other relevant factors. This work has important implications related to the candidacy of women for CABG surgery. Although controversial, there is evidence of a sex bias in the referral and selection of patients of equitable need for CABG surgery. However, women in this study benefited from CABG as much or more than men, despite poorer mental health than men before surgery. This suggests that depression should not preclude women from CABG surgery and supports CABG surgery as a beneficial treatment option for women with coronary artery disease.
Upon completion of her MSc, Rachel hopes to attend medical school and pursuer a career as a clinician/scientist with a special interest in women's health.
Left to Right: Rachel Mitchell, Dr. Margaret Rand (Chair, Awards & Scholarships Committee), Ms. Kathryn Phenix