Postoperative exercise training develops normal levels of physical activity in a group of children following cardiac surgery.
Children with congenital heart defects often demonstrate a reduced capacity for exercise, even after surgical intervention. Forty subjects, with various heart defects, completed a 5-year study to evaluate the impact of a postoperative training program on their physical exercise capacity. All of the patients were significantly less active than their peers prior to the surgical intervention. Subjects who completed a simple, home exercise program during the first 3 postoperative months achieved a normal level of physical fitness. These benefits were maintained up to 5-years postoperatively without further intervention. Children who did not receive a postoperative training program remained significantly below their healthy peers. Therefore, a simple exercise training program, conducted early in the postoperative period would appear essential to the achievement of appropriate levels of physical activity for children with congenital heart defects.
Longmuir
P E
PE
Variety Village, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
Tremblay
M S
MS
Goode
R C
RC
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*