Physical Activity Status and Related Factors of Lung Transplant Patients Within One Year After Surgery: A Single-Center Observational Study.

Abstract

Background: After undergoing lung transplantation, patients' mobility is closely associated with postoperative survival outcomes. This study aimed to assess the physical activity levels of lung transplant recipients at 1-year postsurgery and identify its influencing factors.

Methods: A prospective follow-up evaluation was used to investigate the relationship between preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative clinical factors and functional recovery outcomes. The Duke activity status index (DASI) score was evaluated at 1 year after surgery. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis.

Results: Thirty lung transplant recipients were enrolled, with 27 males and 3 females. The age ranged from 23 to 72 years. The mean DASI score at 1 year postoperatively was 23.84 ± 13.66 points. Univariate analysis showed that age greater than 60 years was a relevant factor influencing DASI at 1 year postoperatively in lung transplant recipients (t = 3.562, p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis indicated that factors such as being over 60 years old (β = -0.476, p = 0.010), having a lower preoperative body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.592, p = 0.003), and a shorter hospital stay in the ICU (β = 0.480, p = 0.004) might be associated with a decline in postoperative activity ability of lung transplant patients.

Conclusion: This suggests that patients over 60 years of age should be prioritized for postoperative mobility management. Among the various aspects of management for lung transplant recipients, avoiding a low preoperative BMI may be more beneficial for improving their long-term postoperative mobility. These findings apply primarily to male lung-transplant patients, and the generalizability of the results needs to be validated in larger cohorts.