Abstract
Objective: To determine the feasibility of a cardiac prehabilitation (Prehab) program for patients waiting
for elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
Design: A two-group parallel randomized controlled trial.
Setting: Medical fitness facility.
Subjects: Seventeen preoperative elective CABG surgery patients were randomized to standard care (n
= 9) or Prehab (n = 8).
Intervention: Standard care: three-hour preassessment appointment. Prehab: exercise and education
classes for 60 minutes/day, twice weekly for at least four weeks.
Main measures: Data were collected at baseline, one week preoperatively, and three months
postoperatively. The primary outcome measure was walking distance using a 6-minute walk test.
Secondary outcome variables included 5-meter gait speed, and cardiac rehabilitation attendance three
months postoperatively.
Results: Fifteen patients (standard care, n = 7; Prehab, n = 8) completed the study. No Prehab patients
developed cardiac symptoms during study participation. Walking distance remained unchanged in the
standard care group; whereas, the Prehab group increased their walking distance to mean ± SD 474
±101 and 487 ±106 m at the preoperative and three month postoperative assessments (p < 0.05).
Gait speed was unchanged in the standard care group, but improved in the Prehab group by 27% and
33% preoperatively and three months postoperatively, respectively (p < 0.05). Enrollment in cardiac
rehabilitation three months postoperatively was higher for Prehab participants (100%) than standard care
participants (43%; p < 0.05).