Version 1
: Received: 17 August 2024 / Approved: 19 August 2024 / Online: 20 August 2024 (10:52:55 CEST)
How to cite:
Ven, L. V. D.; Félix, A. C.; Suarez, J.; Dias, J.; Pinto, F. F.; Laranjo, S. The Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Paediatric Fontan Circulation Patients: A Prospective Intervention Study. Preprints2024, 2024081388. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1388.v1
Ven, L. V. D.; Félix, A. C.; Suarez, J.; Dias, J.; Pinto, F. F.; Laranjo, S. The Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Paediatric Fontan Circulation Patients: A Prospective Intervention Study. Preprints 2024, 2024081388. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1388.v1
Ven, L. V. D.; Félix, A. C.; Suarez, J.; Dias, J.; Pinto, F. F.; Laranjo, S. The Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Paediatric Fontan Circulation Patients: A Prospective Intervention Study. Preprints2024, 2024081388. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1388.v1
APA Style
Ven, L. V. D., Félix, A. C., Suarez, J., Dias, J., Pinto, F. F., & Laranjo, S. (2024). The Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Paediatric Fontan Circulation Patients: A Prospective Intervention Study. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1388.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Ven, L. V. D., Fátima F. Pinto and Sérgio Laranjo. 2024 "The Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Paediatric Fontan Circulation Patients: A Prospective Intervention Study" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.1388.v1
Abstract
Introduction: The Fontan procedure, a palliative surgery for univentricular heart physiology, of-ten reduces exercise capacity and quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on improving outcomes in Fontan patients to inform evidence-based care. Methods: Fontan patients aged 8-30 participated in a structured CR program for at least three months. The program included weekly aerobic and resistance training sessions, with educational and nutritional guidance. Baseline and post-CR assessments included cardiac function, fitness, daily activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Results: The cohort included ten Fontan patients, of whom six had a right systemic ventricle. CR significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness, as seen in VO2 max (from 27.92 ± 5.15 to 34.69 ± 1.14 mL/kg/min, p = 0.0089) and per cent predicted VO2 (from 0.67 ± 0.18 to 0.90 ± 0.02, p = 0.005). VCO2 increased by +8.68 ± 8.59 mL/kg/min, but did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.05). Most haemodynamic and ventila-tory parameters showed no significant improvement. All the SF-36 questionnaire domains showed significant HRQOL gains (p < 0.001). High adherence (85-93%), no adverse events, and reduced NT-proBNP levels supported the program's safety. Conclusion: This study's findings have im-portant implications for the care of Fontan patients. CR significantly improved exercise capacity and HRQOL in Fontan patients across various anatomies, particularly in the right systemic ven-tricle. Integrating physical conditioning into standard care could reduce long-term morbidity and mortality; however, further research is needed to refine the protocols and confirm sustained ben-efits.
Keywords
Fontan procedure; Cardiac rehabilitation; Exercise capacity; Health-related quality of life; Cardiorespiratory fitness; Aerobic exercise training
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
