A Prehabilitation Program for Frail Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgeries/Procedures

Launched by THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG · Mar 14, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a special program designed to help frail patients get stronger before they undergo heart surgeries, such as coronary artery bypass grafting or heart valve replacement. The goal is to see if this prehabilitation program can improve how well patients do after surgery, including their physical abilities, quality of life, and even how long they stay in the hospital. The research team will be looking at 50 adults in Hong Kong who have been identified as having mild to moderate frailty, meaning they may have some difficulty with everyday activities.

To participate, patients need to have a scheduled heart surgery and meet certain health criteria, like being able to exercise safely. They will be randomly assigned to either receive the prehabilitation program or just the usual pre-surgery care. Throughout the study, the participants will be checked at different times after their surgery to see how they are doing. This trial hopes to find better ways to support frail patients before and after heart procedures, ultimately improving their health outcomes and reducing complications.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. A confirmed schedule for elective CABG, valve repair/replacement, or combined CABG and valve repair/replacement, or TAVI
• • 2. Mild to moderate frailty at the time of recruitment, indicated by a Clinical Frailty Scale score between 4 and 6
• • 3. At least 5 weeks of procedural waiting time
• • 4. Physically fit for prehabilitation according to the surgeon/cardiologist's endorsement on a risk-assessment checklist
• • 5. Living with family
• • 6. Using an electronic device with internet access (patient/family).
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Impaired cognition (Abbreviated Mental Test score ≤6) or communication
• • 2. With physical limitations to exercise