THE EVALUATION OF THE FUNCTIONAL EXERCISE CAPACITY OF PATIENTS AFTER CARDIAC SURGERIES

Aim: of the study was to analyze the impact of cardiac rehabilitation on the patients’ performance measured with a 6-minute walk test, depending on age and type of a cardiac surgery. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 144 patients (mean age 68.36 years old) after a cardiac surgery, who underwent physiotherapy in the Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation. The study group was divided into 4 age groups: 60-69-year-olds(56 people), 70-79-year-olds(47 people) and 80-89-year-olds(19 people), 22 people were less than 60 years old. Before and after the therapy, a 6-minute walk test was performed, the rehabilitation programme lasted from 3 to 5 weeks. Results: The comparison of the results of the 6-minute walk test, in people before rehabilitation, the mean value of the 6MWT variable is significantly lower (equal to 1.3857) than after rehabilitation (equal to 2.5243), p < 0.001. Conclusions: The implemetation of cardiac rehabilitation in cardiac surgery patients had a positive effect on the selected test.