Effectiveness of early cardiac rehabilitation in patients with heart valve surgery: a randomized, controlled trial

Objective Complications of heart valve surgery lead to physical inactivity and produce harmful effects. This study aimed to investigate the role of a cardiac rehabilitation program and its long-term effect in patients after heart valve surgery. Methods We performed a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Patients with heart valve surgery were randomly assigned to receive early cardiac rehabilitation (intervention group, 44 patients) or the usual care (control group, 43 patients). The intervention group performed sitting, standing, and walking exercises, followed by endurance training. The control group received usual care and did not engage in any physical activity. Physical function was assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and other measurement tools. Results The intervention group showed a significant beneficial effect regarding physical capacity as shown by the SPPB and the 6-minute walking test at hospital discharge, and a better long-term effect was achieved at 6 months compared with the control group. An improvement in physical function (e.g., the SPPB) after hospital discharge predicted follow-up mortality (odds ratio = 0.416, 95% confidence interval: 0.218-0.792). Conclusion Early cardiac rehabilitation appears to be an effective approach to improve the physical function and survival of patients with heart valve surgery.