Most cardiac surgery patients fail to meet exercise targets six months post-op
A Swedish study of 71 heart surgery patients found that most aren't hitting physical activity guidelines six months after discharge, with pain and fear of movement serving as major obstacles. The findings suggest hospitals need better rehabilitation programs and post-operative counseling to help patients safely resume activity—a gap that could affect recovery times, readmission rates, and healthcare costs.
Originaltitel: Patient-reported physical activity, pain, and fear of movement after cardiac surgery: a descriptive cross-sectional study
<p><strong>Objectives </strong>After cardiac surgery, there may be barriers to being physically active. Patients are encouraged to gradually increase physical activity, but limited knowledge exists regarding postoperative physical activity levels. This study aimed to assess patient-reported physical activity six months after cardiac surgery, determine adherence to WHO's physical activity recommendations, and explore potential relationships between pain, dyspnea, fear of movement, and activity levels.</p><p><strong>Methods </strong>The study design was a cross-sectional study at & Ouml;rebro University Hospital, Sweden. Preoperative and surgical data were retrieved from medical records and questionnaires concerning physical activity (Fr & auml;ndin-Grimby Activity Scale, the Physical activity Likert-scale Haskell, Patient-Specific Functional Scale, and Exercise Self-efficacy Scale) were completed six months after surgery. Data were collected on pain, dyspnea, general health status and kinesiophobia i.e. fear of movement, using the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia Heart.</p><p><strong>Results </strong>In total, 71 patients (68 +/- 11 years, males 82%) participated in this study. Most patients (76%) reported a light to moderate activity level (Fr & auml;ndin-Grimby levels 3-4) six months after cardiac surgery. In total, 42% of the patients adhered to the WHO's physical activity recommendations (150 min/week). Pain and dyspnea were low. Patients with lower activity levels exhibited significantly higher levels of fear of movement (p =.025).</p><p><strong>Conclusions </strong>The majority of patients reported engaging in light to moderate activity levels six months after cardiac surgery. Despite this, less than half of the patients met the WHO's physical activity recommendations. Potential barriers to physical activity such as pain, dyspnea and fear of movement were reported to be low.</p>